Oil prices jumped more than 7% on Friday, trading near multi-month highs after Israel launched a major strike on Iran, prompting Iranian retaliation and raising concerns about disruptions to oil supplies. Brent crude futures jumped $5.1, or about 7.4%, to $74.46 a barrel by 0843 GMT after hitting an intraday high of $78.50, the highest since Jan. 27. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $5.1, or 7.5%, to $73.15 a barrel after hitting a high of $77.62, the highest since Jan. 21. Friday's gains were the biggest intraday moves for both contracts since 2022, after Russia's invasion of...
Gold (XAU/USD) is extending its gains as Israel's attacks on Iran continue, supporting demand for the safe-haven precious metal. At the time of writing, Gold is trading near $3,430, with a surge in bullish momentum potentially opening the door for a retest of the $3,500 record high in the near term. The attacks by Israel on Iran's nuclear facilities have resulted in a broad ‘risk-off' tone throughout markets, supporting Gold's rise. Recent news indicates that the United States and Israel have warned that attacks are likely to persist, leading to a surge in gold prices, which are currently...
The U.S. dollar gained against major currencies, including the euro and yen, on Friday as markets sought safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical tensions following an Israeli attack on Iran. Israel launched a barrage of strikes across Iran on Friday, attacking nuclear facilities and missile factories and killing a swath of military commanders. Israel said about 100 drones had been launched towards Israeli territory in retaliation, although an Iranian source denied this. U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel's main ally, urged Iran to reach a deal on its nuclear program, suggesting that...