Xung đột Israel-Iran đe dọa các cơ sở năng lượng Trung Đông...Giá dầu quốc tế tăng vọt

Israel’s bombing of Iran’s largest gas field and Iran’s retaliatory attacks have had a significant impact on energy facilities in the Middle East, causing international oil prices to surge. This incident has triggered energy supply instability, impacting global markets.

Brent crude oil futures for May delivery rose by 3.8% compared to the previous trading day, closing at $107.38 per barrel. During the trading session, it briefly reached $109.95 per barrel. In contrast, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) saw a slight increase, with the spread between WTI and Brent widening further.

The background of this event is the conflict surrounding energy facilities in the Middle East. Israel attacked Iran’s key natural gas facilities, including the South Pars gas field, marking the first such strike. In response, Iran launched missiles at Qatar’s natural gas facilities, a major energy supplier, causing fires at key energy installations.

Currently, the Strait of Hormuz is effectively blocked. This strait is a vital route for 20% of global oil maritime transportation, and the blockade is severely disrupting supply. Citibank predicts that if this situation persists, Brent oil prices could rise to $120 per barrel in the short term and average around $130 during the second and third quarters.

The surge in oil prices has put downward pressure on the gold market. As a safe-haven asset, gold prices declined on the same day, mainly due to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and the chain inflation pressures caused by instability in the Middle East. Although demand for safe assets remains, inflation and interest rate volatility are diminishing gold’s attractiveness.

This sharp rise in international oil prices and the decline in gold prices have increased global economic uncertainty, and the duration of the Middle East conflict will be a key variable influencing future market volatility.