Deep Analysis of Brent Crude Oil Trends: U.S.-Iran Tensions Easing, How to Seize the Gate TradFi Trading Window?

Recently, the international crude oil market has experienced a rollercoaster ride. On April 15, 2026, Brent crude oil was quoted at approximately $97 on the Gate TradFi platform, down 0.1% in 24 hours, with a total decline of over 10% in the past week. Not long ago, in late March, Brent crude oil prices once surged to $119.50 per barrel, reaching the highest level since 2022.

After spiking to $119, Brent crude oil quickly retreated, driven by a dramatic shift in geopolitical risks and a resonance of multiple bearish fundamentals.

The core driver of the sharp oil price decline: easing US-Iran tensions

The primary reason for Brent crude oil’s recent sharp correction is the rapid increase in market expectations of a thaw in US-Iran relations.

On April 14, international crude oil futures suffered a heavy plunge—WTI crude oil futures for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange plummeted by $7.80, a 7.87% drop, closing at $91.28 per barrel; June delivery Brent crude futures fell by $4.57, a 4.6% decrease, closing at $94.79 per barrel. The core logic behind this decline is the concentrated unwinding of previous geopolitical conflict premiums: signals of US-Iran restarting negotiations, partial resumption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, IEA lowering supply and demand forecasts, and a surge in API crude oil inventories, all combined to drive oil prices back to rational levels.

U.S. President Trump publicly stated that US and Iran might return to negotiations in Pakistan in the next two days. Although the first talks on April 11 did not reach an agreement, both sides signaled a willingness to continue dialogue, and the market began to bet on a positive development.

Fundamental bearish resonance: IEA downgrades demand forecast + unexpected inventory surge

Besides easing geopolitical tensions, bearish fundamentals also intensified the downward pressure on oil prices.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its monthly report on April 14, lowering the global demand growth forecast for 2026 by 80k barrels per day, and expecting demand in the second quarter to decline by 1.5 million barrels per day year-on-year, the largest quarterly decline since the pandemic. Meanwhile, API data showed that US crude oil inventories surged by 6.1 million barrels for the week ending April 10, far exceeding market expectations, further dampening bullish sentiment.

Despite the recent sharp correction, Brent crude oil’s decline was less pronounced than WTI (4.6% vs. 7.87%) because Brent is more sensitive to global supply disruptions. The price spread between the two narrowed from nearly $5 the previous day to $3.51, reflecting ongoing uncertainty in Middle East geopolitics.

Technical analysis: Can the key support at $93.50 hold?

From a technical perspective, Brent crude oil futures stabilized during intraday trading after a continuous decline, touching a critical support level at $93.50. This support provides some short-term positive momentum, helping to ease recent selling pressure.

Currently, the price is attempting to recover from the oversold condition indicated by the Relative Strength Index (RSI), with signs of a potential bullish crossover. However, the short-term corrective downward trend still dominates, as the price remains below the EMA50, maintaining bearish pressure.

If US-Iran negotiations make positive progress, Brent crude could further test below $90; conversely, if hostilities escalate, oil prices may rebound to $119 or even challenge higher levels.

How to trade oil on Gate TradFi?

For crypto users, trading crude oil through traditional channels is highly challenging—opening overseas futures accounts, filling out complex W-8BEN forms, exchanging fiat currency, and cross-border remittances often take over a week. Gate TradFi has completely broken down this barrier.

Transfer USDT to a TradFi sub-account

Log in to the Gate App or Web platform, go to the Gate TradFi section, and transfer USDT from your main account to the TradFi sub-account. The system will automatically price it at 1:1 as USDx, without selling USDT or exchanging fiat currency. From decision to open a position to actual execution takes less than a minute.

Select crude oil trading instruments

Gate TradFi offers futures contracts based on two major global crude oil benchmarks:

• XBRUSDT (Brent crude oil perpetual contract): the international benchmark, covering about two-thirds of global oil pricing references, more sensitive to Middle East geopolitical changes;
• XTIUSDT (WTI crude oil perpetual contract): the US benchmark, reflecting domestic supply and demand changes, more closely linked to North American inventory data.

With full coverage of these two instruments, you can flexibly choose based on the impact of US-Iran tensions on regional supply. If the Strait of Hormuz blockade intensifies, Brent is usually more sensitive; if US inventory changes dominate, WTI warrants more attention.

Use leverage and risk control flexibly

Gate offers multiple leverage options from 5x to 500x for oil contracts. Whether you prefer low leverage trend trading or high leverage for intraday volatility, you can find a suitable risk exposure.

At the current Brent price of about $97, even with just $100 margin, a 100x leverage can give you a nominal position of about $10,000. But be sure to note that high leverage amplifies both gains and losses, so use stop-loss and take-profit strategies cautiously.

24/7 trading

Traditional WTI futures on CME trade from 6:00 to 5:00 Beijing time Monday to Friday, with weekends and holidays closed. But geopolitical events don’t follow trading hours—a sudden ceasefire negotiation news can break at any time, even in the early hours of Saturday.

Gate’s perpetual crude oil contracts support 24/7 continuous trading, meaning you can open or close positions anytime during weekends, late nights, or early mornings if you believe the market is moving, truly enabling “markets never rest, trading never stops.”

Follow top traders with one click (optional)

For traders unfamiliar with crude oil fundamentals, Gate launched the industry’s first TradFi copy trading feature on April 2, 2026. You can follow top traders on the platform and copy their positions with one click to participate in crude oil trading.

Summary

Brent crude oil recently fell sharply from the high of $119 to around $97, driven mainly by rising expectations of US-Iran negotiations, coupled with IEA’s demand forecast downgrade and unexpected inventory buildup. Technically, $93.50 is a key support level; if broken, further downside is possible. If geopolitical conflicts escalate again, prices could rebound.

For crypto users seeking to capitalize on oil price volatility, Gate TradFi offers a convenient entry point—no need to exchange currencies or open traditional brokerage accounts. Use USDT to directly trade XBRUSDT (Brent perpetual contract) and XTIUSDT (WTI perpetual contract), with leverage up to 500x and 24/7 trading. Whether long or short, short-term or medium-long term, Gate TradFi enables efficient participation in the global crude oil market within a familiar account ecosystem.