IIR's March 24 Market Scorecard Brings You Breaking Geopolitical News

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Stay current with the latest geopolitical events, and more importantly, instantly connect to how these events may impact you and your business strategies.

Event	MarCon*	IIR Comment	Outlet	IIR News
Israel strikes Lebanon after first rocket attack since ceasefire		Israel has carried out multiple air strikes on Lebanon after several rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel, in the worst violence since a ceasefire came into effect in November. Saturday's rocket attack from Lebanon came days after Israel reinforced its offensive against Hamas, a Hezbollah ally, in Gaza. Hezbollah said it had no involvement, and it remained committed to the ceasefire.	BBC	BP, U.S. Rig Count: Your Daily Energy News
Russia and Ukraine Hold U.S.-Mediated Talks		Russian officials were holding a round of talks with representatives of the United States on Monday in Saudi Arabia, following a similar meeting a day earlier between American and Ukrainian delegations Russia and Ukraine both agreed last week to halt strikes on energy infrastructure temporarily, but how and when to put in place that partial truce has yet to be decided as attacks persist... the ultimate goal of the talks is a 30-day full cease-fire that would allow time for negotiations on a permanent truce. But the path toward such a truce has been shaky.	The New York Times	Renewables, Natural Gas were Biggest Winners in Global Energy Use in 2024
Oil firms as market weighs Iran sanctions and talks over Russia-Ukraine ceasefire		Oil prices strengthened in choppy trade on Monday as investors weighed the impact of fresh U.S. sanctions on Iranian exports against talks to end the war in Ukraine, which could increase supply of Russian crude to global markets. "Crude remains rangebound as traders continued to weigh the impact of new U.S. tariffs, the risk of an economic slowdown, as well as increased OPEC+ supply from next month and the prospect of stepped-up U.S. sanctions lowering supply from Iran," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.	Reuters	Trump Wants More Alaskan Energy
Europe markets edge higher. Asia markets trading mostly higher. Dow rallies 300 points to start week on hopes Trump is softening tariff stance		European markets edged higher on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at tariff "flexibility." Overnight, Asia-Pacific markets were trading mostly higher Monday, but investors in the region are looking ahead to U.S. President Donald Trump's April 2 tariff deadline. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures jumped early Monday on reports President Donald Trump was planning on holding back some of the tariffs initially planned for April 2, raising hopes the U.S. won't plunge the globe into an all-out trade war.	CNBC	Europe Hits Back with $28 Billion of Tariffs Against U.S.
Natural Gas News: Is the First Storage Build a Signal That Prices Will Stay Under Pressure?		Natural gas futures ended the week under pressure, closing lower as traders digested a bearish mix of early-season demand weakness, a surprise storage injection, and ongoing mild weather. Despite attempts to stabilize midweek, market sentiment tilted bearish by Friday, reflecting concern that spring conditions are arriving faster than expected. The early arrival of the first injection of the season reinforced that view and removed a layer of fundamental support that had helped buoy prices in recent weeks.	FX Empire	No Let-Up in LNG Activity in the United States
China Says It's Prepared for Shocks as US Tariffs Loom		Chinese Premier Li Qiang said the country is prepared for "shocks that exceed expectations" as the world braces for US President Donald Trump to announce more tariffs on its trading partners next month. Countries should open up markets in the face of growing economic fragmentation, Li told a gathering of global business leaders at the start of the China Development Forum in Beijing on Sunday. Top executives including Apple Inc.'s Tim Cook, Qualcomm Inc.'s Cristiano Amon, Pfizer Inc.'s Albert Bourla and Saudi Aramco's Amin Nasser are attending the two-day conference. Bloomberg News earlier reported that plans were being made for corporate titans to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 28, citing people familiar with the matter.	Bloomberg	Cold Shoulder: China Pauses LNG Shipments from U.S Due to Tariff Retaliation Moves
New Oil Projects Set to Flood Market in 2025		This year will see the highest amount of new oil supply in a decade, according to data analyzed by Raymond James that showed projected global additions of nearly 3 million barrels daily. But only if the price is right. Bloomberg reported the Raymond James figures, noting projects such as the giant Tengiz field in the Kazakh section of the Caspian Sea-one of the largest oil discoveries in modern times-and the Bacalhau field in Brazil, which has an estimated potential of 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Production expansions at Saudi fields will also contribute to the fresh wave of oil supply, the investment bank added.	OilPrice	Experimental Fusion Reactor Project Advances in France
Week 03/17/25 - 03/24/25		Where do we go from here? as Israel launches assaults on both Gaza and Lebanon, signaling that ceasefires with Hamas and Hezbollah have reached, or could be nearing, an end. Also, Russia, the U.S. and Ukraine find themselves back at the negotiating table in Riyadh to try and hammer out an unlikely 30-day ceasefire. The world economic markets brace for another round of U.S. tariffs-- although they may not be as harsh--amid possibilities of ratcheting trade wars. Mr. Oil Market finds himself in a precarious position tilting towards the bearish side as more supply could enter this economically challenged market. Stay tuned in to find out where we go from here.
*MarCon (Market Condition 1-5, with 5 being the highest impact) indicates directional bias or price effect for the relevant commodity (Oil, Natural Gas, Chemicals, etc.) and is graded by our team of experts here at IIR.

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