President Donald Trump said the US had launched its most severe economic action against Iran, framing it as a campaign of economic conflict and isolation and warning that any country enabling financial support would face economic consequences. He cited a broad range of alleged channels, including oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries and front companies, and said these routes should be shut. Trump also indicated the US could return to negotiations with Iran at a later stage, while describing current conditions as favourable.
In the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates said it would suspend all trade with Tehran after two ballistic missiles targeted the UAE, a claim Iran denied. Crude prices were steady: West Texas Intermediate was up 0.02% at $85.28 at the time of writing.
Oil Market Risks and Trading Outlook
With US President Trump threatening unprecedented sanctions against Iran and the UAE halting trade, we believe energy markets are heavily underpricing the risk of a major supply disruption. Although WTI crude is currently holding steady near $85.28, the threat of secondary sanctions on countries facilitating Iranian oil smuggling puts up to 1.5 million barrels per day of exports at immediate risk. Derivative traders should capitalize on this calm before the storm by positioning for a sharp upward move in oil prices over the coming weeks.
Recommended Strategies and Regional Impacts
We recommend buying out-of-the-money call options on WTI crude with October and November 2026 expirations to capture the inevitable geopolitical risk premium. Historically, sudden supply shocks in the Persian Gulf, such as the 2019 attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, have caused oil prices to spike by over 14% in a single trading session. Implied volatility in oil options is currently relatively cheap, making long-volatility strategies like straddles highly attractive right now.
Because China remains the primary buyer of Iranian crude, importing the vast majority of Iran’s daily exports, any strict enforcement of US secondary sanctions will heavily squeeze Asian refining margins. Traders should consider shorting energy-dependent Asian index futures or buying put options on major refining conglomerates in the region. We anticipate that as the US begins targeting front companies and ship registries, global freight rates will surge, making long positions in maritime shipping derivatives another highly lucrative play.
