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With the U.S.-Iran war showing no signs of cooling, oil prices are gushing higher again.
In fact, last checked, crude oil was up about $1 at $97.30. Brent crude is up $4.62 at $112. All after Iran intensified its attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Gulf. An Iranian drone also hit a Saudi refinery in the Red Sea.
And, according to the Associated Press, “Qatar, a key source of natural gas for world markets, said firefighters put out a blaze at the Ras Laffan LNG facility after it was hit by Iranian missiles. Production had already been halted there after earlier attacks.” Not helping, the idea of $200 oil isn’t looking so far-fetched – as Middle East exports and production collapse, removing about seven to 10 million bpd of global supply.
As a result, the S&P 500 is down another 0.9%, or 60 points. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is down 0.9%, or by $6. The Dow is down 0.73%, or by 328 points. The Nasdaq is down 1.13%, or by 250 points. Gold prices are down by $322 to $4,569, as Bitcoin slips back under $70,000.
Gold and Silver Dive on Inflation Fears
Safe havens, such as gold and silver, are taking a massive dive thanks to the Iranian conflict and higher inflation.
All as the war fuels concerns about an energy shock that could easily add inflationary pressures to economies all over the world. Central banks are also watching developments, with the U.S. Federal Reserve citing uncertain impacts from the war. The Bank of Japan also kept interest rates steady, noting that inflationary risks are elevated.
And, according to economist EJ Antoni, as quoted by the Financial Times, “I don’t think this is an economy that is going to be able to handle $100 a barrel for oil, it’s just not.”
He added, “The economy is weaker than we thought it was, and inflation is worse than we thought it was. The lower energy prices that we saw in 2025 helped put downward pressure on prices throughout the economy. Now, we’re going to see higher energy prices have exactly the opposite effect and put upward pressure on prices throughout the economy.”
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