Hopes for a U.S.-Iran ceasefire dashed! Brent crude briefly rebounded to the $95 mark as geopolitical risk premiums return in full force.

Escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and the near-collapse of negotiations have prompted markets to reprice the risk of prolonged energy supply disruptions. Brent crude has surged past $95 per barrel, as fears of a potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have driven up oil and gas prices, inflation expectations, and U.S. Treasury yields in tandem. Geopolitical risk premiums are now becoming the new core pricing factor in global energy markets.

wallstreetcn20:45

Why Has Trump Suddenly Targeted Iran’s ‘Gao Shan’? Crude Oil Markets Are Closely Watching

Trump publicly threatened to strike Iran’s Fordow underground nuclear facility, prompting Iran to warn that such an action would trigger a regional war. Located over 100 meters beneath solid rock, Fordow has become the focal point of U.S.-Iranian confrontation; reports indicate Iran may have already relocated thousands of centrifuges into these deep tunnels. Current U.S. bunker-busting munitions may struggle to directly destroy the site, and as military clashes and nuclear negotiations continue to intertwine, the risk of escalating tensions in the Middle East has sharply increased.

wallstreetcn17:26

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio: The United States remains willing to engage in negotiations on the Iran issue.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the United States remains willing to resolve the Iran issue through negotiations, but Tehran has shown a lack of sincerity toward dialogue. Meanwhile, escalating conflicts have disrupted two of the world’s most critical energy transit chokepoints.

Zhitong Finance17:03

Following the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is now also in crisis—two critical global energy arteries face consecutive disruptions.

① Following threats from the Houthis against shipping, crude oil loadings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait plummeted by 36% within two weeks; ② A blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait would put a quarter of global oil and gas supplies at risk and severely disrupt trade between Asia and Europe; ③ Both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—the two critical chokepoints for energy transportation—are under pressure to halt operations, potentially driving up global oil prices as well as shipping and insurance costs.

cls.cn13:42

Bidding opened for 79.7 GW of photovoltaic module centralized procurement by 11 state-owned central enterprises, with TCL Zhonghuan provisionally ranked first in terms of awarded capacity.

Gelonghui, July 22 — Tendering for the centralized procurement of photovoltaic modules for 2026–2027 has been progressively completed. According to official announcements and data from bidding platforms, as of July 15, 2026, eleven state-owned enterprises and central government-administered enterprises—including China National Coal Group, PowerChina, China Huadian Corporation, Beijing Energy Group, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), China Huaneng Group, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), Datang Group, GD Power Development Company (a subsidiary of State Power Investment Corporation), Guangdong Energy Group, and Zhejiang Communications Investment Group—have finalized their module tenders. These tenders comprised a total of 33 bidding packages, with an aggregate awarded capacity of 79.7 GW. Additionally, Sheneng Group and China Resources Group have combined module projects totaling 6.4 GW that remain under tender.

Gelonghui Finance12:45

Fitch Affirms PetroChina's A Rating, With Stable Outlook

MT Newswires11:48