U.S. crude futures settled at $71.92/bbl, up $1.58, or 2.25%.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said the United States strongly supports Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization and recognizes the substantive progress it has made to date.

Oil pared wartime gains on Thursday as markets priced in improved global supply after tankers began transiting the Strait of Hormuz following a US‑Iran agreement to reopen the route. Maritime analytics firm Kpler says more than 20 tankers carrying roughly 35 mln barrels of crude — mostly non‑Iranian vessels that had been stranded in the Gulf for over three months after Tehran effectively closed the waterway — have transited the strait; most are expected to reach Asian destinations in early August. CITIGROUP says the worst phase for commodity‑futures carry/arbitrage trades may be over; its base case assumes materially eased tensions and it sees Brent falling to $60–65/bbl over the next 6–12 months as shipping normalises.