Oil prices rose sharply during Thursday’s trading, recording weekly gains after US President Donald Trump confirmed the continuation and intensification of military operations against Iran.
US crude surged to close above benchmark Brent for the first time in nearly four years, amid concerns over prolonged supply disruptions, especially as hopes of reopening the Strait of Hormuz faded.
US President Donald Trump said in a speech that he intends to intensify strikes on Iran over the next two to three weeks, reinforcing market expectations that military escalation will precede any de-escalation efforts.
In trading, Brent crude futures for June delivery rose 7.78%, or $7.87, to $109.03 per barrel, posting weekly gains of 3.52%, marking the seventh consecutive weekly increase.
US Nymex crude futures for May delivery jumped 11.41%, or $11.42, to $111.54 per barrel, after touching $111.73 earlier in the session, marking the largest price increase since 2020 and posting weekly gains of 11.94%.
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Nuclear energy has once again returned to the center of a heated debate among European leaders, at a time when a new energy crisis is sweeping the world, leaving the import-dependent European Union racing to find alternative energy sources. The bloc still imports more than half of its energy needs, making it highly vulnerable to global market shocks, such as the unprecedented disruption to oil and gas supplies currently taking place in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other. To keep the lights on and prevent large segments of Europe’s population from slipping into energy poverty, Europe may have little choice but to turn back to nuclear power.
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