Depleted US oil stash loses potency as Iran war grinds on

With the U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran now entering its sixth month, Washington may face a harder time calming jittery oil markets. The article links this to earlier U.S. presidents draining the aging Strategic Petroleum Reserve over the last five years, reducing buffer capacity during supply-risk shocks. Net effect: higher perceived downside risk to oil prices and less policy flexibility in the event of further escalation.