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Oil Jumps After Iranian Tanker Hit By Missiles

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Brent Crude and WTI have both leapt two per cent following a report by Reuters that an Iranian tanker is ablaze in the Red Sea 60 miles from the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Iranian news agencies are reporting the tanker is ablaze and leaking oil into the Red Sea after being hit by two missiles. They are labelling it a “terrorist attack.

The obvious worry will be that this is a reprisal by Saudi Arabia following drone and missile attacks a few weeks ago on its own oil processing facility.  The truth, of course, maybe far more straightforward than that. The Iranian tanker may well have just had a mechanical mishap causing the explosion rather than the spin put by the Iranian media.

The former though would represent a very dangerous escalation in the Middle East tensions across the Straits of Hormuz and if so oil prices could be set for a strong up move. At this stage, we will have to wait for more details to emerge.

Brent Crude and WTI spot are one dollar higher at $60.15 and $54.35 a barrel respectively.

This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Jeffrey Halley

Jeffrey Halley

Senior Currency Analyst
Based in Singapore, Jeffrey has over 25 years experience in the financial markets, having traded currencies, options, precious metals and futures. Jeffrey started his career at Barclays Bank in New Zealand. However he has spent most of it in London and Asia.Jeffrey focuses on the Asia time zone across asset classes. A regular commentator on business news TV and Radio, he is originally from New Zealand and holds an MBA from Cass Business School, London.
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