Did Vandana Hari call $200 oil before Brent crossed $120?
Timeline for Vandana Hari
Mentioned in: Brent touches $100 on expiry, closes at $97.91
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: $140 Brent tips world into recession
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Brent at $112: 66% above pre-war price
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Goldman: Brent could break 2008 record
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Brent touches $119 before falling back
Iran Conflict 2026Background
Vandana Hari is the founder and CEO of Vanda Insights, a Singapore-based energy market intelligence firm. She has covered oil markets for over two decades, with a particular focus on Asia-Pacific crude flows and Middle East supply dynamics, and is regularly cited by Reuters, Bloomberg, and the Financial Times.
Hari emerged as one of the most quoted voices on the Iran conflict oil price surge. On 19 March 2026, as Brent touched $119 per barrel, she stated that $200 was "already within sight" and noted that Middle Eastern benchmarks, including Oman and Dubai crude, had already crossed $150. She continued to feature in coverage of the record $14.20-per-barrel spot backwardation that followed.
Hari occupies a distinctive position among energy analysts: her $200 forecast was more aggressive than Rystad Energy's $110-$135 modelled range and aligned with the extreme scenario outlined by Oxford Economics. The question her calls raise is whether Asian demand destruction will act as a ceiling before Hormuz-driven supply shocks push prices to those levels.
Who is Vandana Hari?
What did Vandana Hari say about oil prices in the Iran war?
What is Vanda Insights?
How does Vandana Hari's oil forecast compare to Goldman Sachs and Rystad Energy?
Where is Vanda Insights based?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 28 July 2026. Editorial standards.