Brent briefly rose about 0.8% at the open to above $95/bbl and WTI topped
$90/bbl after a U.S. strike on Iranian tankers and Tehran’s announcement of a
new exclusion zone outside the Strait of Hormuz heightened fears of prolonged
energy transit disruption. The U.S. said it struck three Iranian tankers over
the weekend, destroying one, in retaliation for Iran’s ballistic missile attack
on a U.S. naval vessel. Iran’s top security official said a new exclusion zone
will be set in coming days, starting from the U.S. naval blockade line and
extending into parts of the Persian Gulf. U.S. Energy Secretary Wright said the
U.S. Navy will not ease deployments in the Strait, including blocking Iranian
oil exports and ensuring safe passage for other merchant vessels. Brent is up
nearly 60% year-to-date; refined fuels such as diesel have risen more amid the
Middle East conflict and the Russia‑Iran war.
