Trump Considers Strike on Iranian Nuclear Facilities…International Oil Prices Jump 4%

According to CNN on the 17th (local time), the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil in the United States surged by 4.3%, closing at $74.84 per barrel and reaching its highest level since January 22. Brent Crude also rose by more than 4%, intensifying tensions in the global energy market.

This surge occurred immediately after a CNN report that President Donald Trump of the United States was holding meetings with his national security team in the White House situation room and was considering the possibility of military attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities.

CNN, citing two U.S. government officials, reported that President Trump is showing an increasingly favorable stance toward military action.

This month, oil prices have soared by about 23%, leading to a rise in gasoline prices.

Moreover, concerns about the Strait of Hormuz, the world's largest oil shipping route, have also grown. In the Gulf of Oman, two oil tankers collided, and the incident is presumed to have occurred due to issues during navigation, stated the Joint Maritime Information Center.

Robert Yawger, Head of Energy Futures at Mizuho Securities, analyzed, "The collision and fire heightened fears that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz could spiral out of control."

However, he added, "The Strait of Hormuz has never been closed, even during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s."