OIL CEILING: $100 Barrel Is 'Ours for Awhile'—Middle East Crisis Won't Break...

Oil prices are unlikely to fall significantly in the near term, even as markets attempt to assess the full impact of Middle East tensions and disrupted shipping routes. The conflict's eight-month duration has already reshaped supply expectations and investor positioning, creating a floor under crude prices around $100 per barrel. Until shipping corridors stabilize and geopolitical risks ease, traders see little room for a sustained decline, meaning consumers facing higher energy costs should expect that pressure to persist through the coming months.