Cathie Wood Warns Oil Could Plunge 50% Amid Hormuz Crisis

TheStreet reports that the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war has “rapidly reshaped the global oil outlook,” with WTI crude briefly surging “to nearly $120 per barrel” at the height of tensions, representing “almost over 50% jump since the beginning of the war.”

“# Cathie Wood warns oil could plunge 50% amid Hormuz crisis Oil markets have been on a roller coaster since the outbreak of the U”

TheStreet

Before the conflict, WTI was trading “around $78–$80 per barrel as of Feb. 26,” and the war has concentrated attention on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply; Iran has “officially announced a blockage of the passage, threatening to attack any tanker that attempts to pass through it.”

TheStreet also cites Greenpeace that “currently 68 loaded oil tankers are stuck in the Strait carrying about 16 billion litres of oil.”

TheStreet documents physical attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure that have heightened supply concerns, noting that “so far, Saudi Aramco facility is Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates' Ruwais Refinery, and Bahrain's Bapco Energies refinery complex have been attacked.”

The article says these attacks caused “major damage to oil reserves and civilian injuries.”

“# Cathie Wood warns oil could plunge 50% amid Hormuz crisis Oil markets have been on a roller coaster since the outbreak of the U”

TheStreet

These facility attacks, together with the Hormuz disruption, underpin the market’s sensitivity to any escalation in the region.

Market reaction was volatile: after the initial spike, prices “fell sharply” when U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the war was “pretty much over.”

“# Cathie Wood warns oil could plunge 50% amid Hormuz crisis Oil markets have been on a roller coaster since the outbreak of the U”

TheStreet

As of March 11 TheStreet reports WTI trading “around $86 per barrel” and Brent “hovered near $91.”

Both prices were “still significantly higher than before the conflict began,” illustrating rapid sentiment-driven swings tied to political signals as well as real supply fears.

Cathie Wood, founder and CEO of ARK Invest, interprets the conflict as having internal geopolitical implications inside Iran, saying in an ARK Invest video that “Iran firing of missiles and sending out drones has dropped by about 90%.”

She characterises Iran’s populace as a “coiled spring” of “young, well-educated citizens” who may push for political change and greater participation in global technology and innovation.

“# Cathie Wood warns oil could plunge 50% amid Hormuz crisis Oil markets have been on a roller coaster since the outbreak of the U”

TheStreet

Wood argues these social dynamics could reshape the region’s economic future.

On longer-term oil demand and price, Wood contends technology will drive a structural decline: she says “they [Middle Eastern nations] know that oil prices are going down as autonomous mobility takes us into the electric vehicle realm.”

“# Cathie Wood warns oil could plunge 50% amid Hormuz crisis Oil markets have been on a roller coaster since the outbreak of the U”

TheStreet

She adds that “Electric vehicles will become less expensive.”

Wood predicts “We could see it going down to the low $50 per barrel...below $50 per barrel and perhaps much lower over the next 5 to 10 years,” framing the forecast around EV and autonomous mobility growth reducing oil demand.