US Strikes Iran, Oil Prices Rise

New US military strikes on Iran>>> have escalated tensions in the Middle East, testing a fragile ceasefire and causing oil prices to bounce higher. The United States>>> military shot down four Iranian drones and struck a control center in Iran — Bandar Abbas>>>. In response, Iranian state media reported that Iranian forces fired at four ships in the crucial Strait of Hormuz>>>, while Kuwait>>>'s air defenses responded to missile and drone attacks. These developments occurred despite an Iranian official suggesting renewed hostilities were unlikely and US President Donald Trump>>> threatening to 'finish the job' if a peace deal was not reached. The renewed conflict has profoundly shaken global energy markets, leading to significant increases in Brent Crude>>> and West Texas Intermediate>>> prices. Asian stock markets, including the Hang Seng Index>>>, mostly fell, reflecting investor concerns over the geopolitical instability and potential for worsening inflation, which could lead central banks to raise interest rates.