The US dollar-dominated global oil trading system is being tested by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as governments in major consuming nations turn to increasingly opaque deals with Tehran and Gulf producers to secure supplies.

Physical crude markets have also firmed again in recent days, offering a reminder of the wider supply tightness that’s hitting the global oil industry.

Oil prices remain near $100 despite the Hormuz disruption, but inventory drawdowns, spare capacity limits, and structural constraints suggest a delayed supply shock ahead.