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European Gas Prices See Sharp Decline as Mideast Tensions Ease

(MENAFN) European natural gas prices cratered on Friday, with the benchmark Dutch TTF contract shedding more than 8% to trade at around €38.9 ($46) per megawatt-hour as of 1330 GMT — as mounting optimism over a potential end to the Iran conflict dissolved the risk premium that had gripped energy markets for weeks.

The sharp selloff was set in motion after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was "completely open" for the duration of the ongoing ceasefire period. The announcement was swiftly amplified by US President Donald Trump, who took to his Truth Social platform to welcome the development. "Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you," Trump wrote.

Fueling the rally further, media reported that American and Iranian negotiators are actively working through a three-page framework that could form the basis of a war-ending agreement. According to sources briefed on the discussions, one proposal on the table would see Washington release $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Tehran relinquishing its enriched uranium stockpile.

The Strait of Hormuz sits at the nerve center of global energy flows, funneling roughly one-fifth of worldwide oil and liquefied natural gas supplies — making any disruption to its operations an immediate flashpoint for international commodity markets.

Friday's dramatic price retreat marked a turning point after a prolonged stretch of extreme volatility that had driven European gas prices to multi-year highs. The surge had been underpinned by fears of an extended closure of the strategic chokepoint, with senior policymakers and energy officials cautioning throughout the week that a protracted shutdown could intensify supply shortfalls and keep energy costs uncomfortably elevated across the continent.

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