Oil prices continued to rise at the start of the fifth week of trading after the start of the Iran war.
A barrel (159 liters) of North Sea Brent for delivery in May rose by up to four percent to almost $117 on Monday night. This brought the oil price back closer to its interim high of $119.50, which was reached three weeks ago. Early in the morning the price was $115.55, 2.7 percent higher than at the end of last week.
Since the start of the Iran war, the Brent reference grade has risen in price by almost 60 percent. The prices of other types of oil have also risen sharply since Israel and the United States attacked Iran. A barrel of the US WTI variety costs a little more than 100 dollars on Monday morning – and therefore a little more than 50 percent than before the start of the Iran war.
Meanwhile, the USA and Israel are continuing their violent attacks in Iran in what is now the fifth week of the war. The Israeli army announced early Monday morning that “military infrastructure” in the Iranian capital Tehran was being attacked, without providing further details. Shortly before, US President Donald Trump had written on his Truth Social platform: “Great day in Iran”. The US military has attacked and destroyed “many long-held targets.”
Iran, flanked by the Houthi militia it supports in Yemen, continued its counterattacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states.
Trump expresses interest in Iranian oil
US President Donald Trump says he would like to take control of Iran’s oil. “To be honest, I would like to take the oil in Iran,” said the Republican in an interview with the British newspaper “Financial Times” (FT). He added: “But some stupid people in the US say, ‘Why are you doing this?’ But they are stupid people.”
For such a step, the US military would probably have to take over the Iranian island of Kharg in the Persian Gulf, through which around 90 percent of the country’s oil exports pass.
Asked whether a ceasefire agreement could be reached in the coming days that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial for global oil and gas transport, Trump declined to provide specific details, according to the report. “We still have about 3,000 targets left – we have bombed 13,000 targets – and a few thousand more targets to go,” he was quoted as saying. “An agreement could come about fairly quickly,” he said.
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NEW YORK/LONDON/WASHINGTON/TEHRAN (dpa-AFX)
