CCTV Script 25/06/26

– This is the script of CNBC’s financial news report for China’s CCTV on JUNE 25, 2026.

Oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz have rebounded significantly. According to data from commodities analytics firm Kpler, since the United States and Iran reached an agreement, at least 20 tankers carrying 35 million barrels of crude oil—previously stranded in the Persian Gulf—have successfully transited out through the Strait of Hormuz.

Kpler’s data further indicates that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have recovered to approximately 4.8 million barrels per day since the US-Iran deal was struck. June oil flows also rose to their highest level since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. However, it is worth noting that export volumes remain far below pre-conflict levels, which previously saw around 15 million barrels of oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz daily.

As crude exports rebound, security risks in the Strait of Hormuz have eased accordingly.

The Joint Maritime Information Center, a US-led multinational naval advisory group, has downgraded the threat level for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz from the highest status of “Critical” to “Moderate.” In its latest advisory published this week, the center stated that while attacks remain possible, they are unlikely, as overall risk has receded following the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

As markets digest the easing of shipping disruption fears in the Strait of Hormuz, international oil prices have posted noticeable declines. At the same time, however, Trump has directed criticism at US oil companies, faulting them for not lowering retail gasoline prices quickly enough.

According to data from the AAA, the national average retail gas price in the US stood at approximately $3.93 per gallon as of Wednesday, remaining elevated above five-year historical averages for this period.

As illustrated in this chart, following the outbreak of the Middle East conflict in late February, both WTI crude oil prices and US retail gas prices surged in tandem. However, entering June, crude prices pulled back significantly, while retail gasoline prices declined at a markedly slower pace.

Addressing this disparity, Trump posted on Wednesday local time stating that while purchasing costs for crude oil paid by major oil companies have fallen sharply, they have failed to pass those savings on at the pump. Trump added that he has directed the Department of Justice to investigate the matter.

However, experts told CNBC that a natural time lag exists when price changes transmit from crude oil to retail gasoline.

Karen Young
Senior Research Scholar
Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

“There are state and local taxes, which are applied to the price of gas at stations in the United States, and it really is up to refiners, and it takes a couple of weeks before crude prices drop, that then the prices at refineries, and then on to eventually consumers can really respond.”

Finally, looking ahead at crude price trends, energy expert Daniel Yergin noted that although the strait crisis has eased, considerable uncertainty remains surrounding long-term transit arrangements and toll disputes.

Daniel Yergin
Vice Chairman
S&P Global

“We’re not back to where we were at the beginning of the year, when it was expected there was going to be a huge glut of oil, and prices, you know, we’re in the low 60s, so with all the insecurity, it seems 70 to 85 seems a reasonable range, unless something dramatically changes.”