US West Texas Intermediate crude settled down 46 cents, or 0.63%, at US$72.70 a barrel. Global benchmark Brent crude futures settled up 24 cents, or 0.32%, to US$76.20.
HOUSTON: Oil prices diverged at settlement on Tuesday amid tariff drama between Washington and Beijing, and after US President Donald Trump restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, in a bid to drive Iranian oil exports to zero, per a US official.
Trump signed the presidential memorandum ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ordering the US Treasury secretary to impose "maximum economic pressure" on Iran, including sanctions and enforcement mechanisms.
