Shafaq News
Oil pricesjumped more than 3% on Thursday after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said theytargeted a U.S. airbase in response to a U.S. attack near Bandar Abbas airport.
Brent crudefutures rose $3.51, or 3.72%, to $97.8 a barrel by 0344 GMT, while the moreactive August contract gained $3.35 or 3.63%, to $95.6. The July contract isset to expire on Friday.
The U.S.West Texas Intermediate futures were up $3.31, or 3.73%, at $91.99.
Bothbenchmarks slipped more than 5% to touch their lowest in a month in theprevious session on the possibility of a U.S.-Iran deal to end their war andreopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran'sRevolutionary Guards said on Thursday they targeted a U.S. airbase after whatthey described as an early morning U.S. attack near Bandar Abbas airport,Tasnim news agency reported.
They warnedthat any repeat of what they called aggression would draw a "moredecisive".
The U.S. militarylaunched new strikes in Iran targeting a military site that officials believedposed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial maritime traffic in the strait, aU.S. official told Reuters.
"Oilsupply remains constrained, and key sticking points have yet to beresolved," ANZ commodity strategist Daniel Hynes said in a note.
In the U.S.,crude oil stockpiles fell by 2.8 million barrels last week, the sixth straightweek of declines, according to American Petroleum Institute data.
Officialinventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration are due onThursday, a day later than usual due to the Memorial Day holiday on Monday.
(Reuters)
Only theheadline is edited by Shafaq News Agency.