Brent Jumps on Fresh US-Iran Strikes
2026-07-12 23:48
By
Jam Kaimo Samonte
1 min. read
Brent climbed about 4% to around $79 per barrel on Monday, snapping a two-day losing streak after the US and Iran exchanged fresh missile strikes over the weekend amid ongoing tensions over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US carried out its fourth strike in a week against Iran on Sunday in retaliation for an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged container ship.
Tehran declared that the Strait of Hormuz would be closed "until further notice," although the claim was rejected by the US Central Command.
Oil prices have rebounded since last week as the renewed hostilities reversed part of the losses triggered by the interim US-Iran peace agreement, which had fueled expectations of increased Middle East energy supplies.
The latest escalation has weakened hopes for renewed diplomacy, with Tehran insisting that Washington must first fulfill its previous commitments on Hormuz transit and the normalization of Iranian oil exports before negotiations can resume.