Oil slides as US-Iran truce hopes outweigh Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

Oil prices declined on Friday as investors considered the prospect of a US-Iranian truce and were concerned that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could disrupt Middle Eastern oil supplies. Brent crude fell $1.47, or 1.4 percent, to $105.11 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipped $2, or 2.1 percent, to $92.61 a barrel.

The US and Iranian negotiators in New York are discussing a phased approach to end the conflict, which could include Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic sanctions on Iran, according to sources familiar with the talks. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that it is up to the US to decide when the war will end.

Since the war began in February, about a fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments have been affected. Despite the recent attacks, oil prices have remained relatively stable due to diplomatic hopes, with crude trading softer than expected. Crude prices touched a one-week high on Thursday, with both contracts up by up to 5 percent.

The spread between Brent and WTI, which usually move together, widened to its widest level since May at $12.50 a barrel. This divergence is attributed to fears of a US ban on diesel exports flooding the domestic market, giving WTI a discount to Brent. Saudi Arabia intercepted six missiles fired by Houthi rebels from Yemen, protecting the southern province of Taif and the Red Sea port of Yanbu, according to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.