Oil Prices Jump as Middle East Tensions Flare After Strike
(Bloomberg) -- Brent oil extended gains for a second day as tensions in the Middle East flared after a rocket attack reportedly killed members of an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq.
London’s benchmark oil surged as much as 1% after Iraq state television reported General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds force, and the head of Iran-linked Kataib Hezbollah militias -- Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis -- were both killed in attack at Baghdad airport. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday the U.S. was ready to deploy more force in Iraq after an attack on the American embassy in Baghdad this week.
Brent for March settlement climbed 65 cents to $66.90 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe Exchange as of 9:41 a.m. Singapore time. The contract climbed 25 cents to close at $66.25 on Thursday. The global benchmark crude traded at a $5.40 premium to West Texas Intermediate for the same month.
WTI for February delivery rose 52 cents, or 0.9%, to $61.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 12 cents to close at $61.18 on Thursday. Prices are heading for the first weekly decline since the end of November.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-prices-jump-middle-east-014535784.html
More market manipulation by Trump?
= new reply since forum marked as read
