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Updated 2026-03-20 03:03 UTC
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Oil and natural gas prices soar as Iran attacks Gulf energy facilities. Brent crude nears $114

Iran has launched attacks on energy facilities in the Persian Gulf, causing Brent crude oil prices to surge near $114 per barrel. The attacks have prompted threats from the U.S. to target Iran's Kharg Island oil assets, while Iran has warned it will "set fire" to ships attempting to transit the crucial Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has suspended the Jones Act for 60 days to allow foreign vessels to transport goods between U.S. ports amid the escalating conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most vital oil transit point, and any disruption there affects global energy markets immediately. This escalation threatens to dramatically increase oil prices worldwide and could expand into a broader regional conflict affecting international shipping and energy security.
Iran says

Iran warns it will target any vessels attempting to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to "set fire" to ships in the vital waterway. The country appears to be responding to U.S. military pressure and threats against its oil infrastructure.

U.S. officials say

The Trump administration is threatening to bomb Iran's oil assets on Kharg Island in response to the attacks on Gulf energy facilities. Military leaders acknowledge that such actions would likely escalate the conflict significantly and drive oil prices even higher.