A record 9.92 million barrels of crude oil were withdrawn from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) during the week ended May 15, 2026, according to MarketWatch. The withdrawal is part of an agreement between the U.S. and the International Energy Agency designed to counter the Iranian war’s impact on energy prices. A total of 172 million barrels of crude are expected to be withdrawn, reducing the SPR to nearly 300 million barrels, less than half of its 714-million-barrel capacity.