International Oil Prices Surge Sharply in Dark Trading! Iran Strikes United States (US) Targets in the Middle East

On July 12, international oil prices rose sharply in off-hours trading; as of 10:30 Beijing time, both WTI and Brent crude were up more than 3% in off-hours trading.

According to CCTV News, Iran said on the 12th that it had launched a series of strikes against U.S. targets in the Middle East.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the American news website Axios reported on the 11th, citing a senior U.S. official, that the U.S. military successfully targeted Iran's airborne surveillance radars, missile and drone storage facilities, missile and drone launch sites, maritime surveillance radars, and surface-to-air missile launch systems on that day.

According to a previous report by CCTV News, the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced in the early hours of the 12th that the Strait of Hormuz is closed effective immediately, and no vessels may pass through it. The statement said that Iran had previously announced that any foreign interference in affairs related to the Strait of Hormuz or any illegal designation of shipping routes would be met with Iran’s “resolute response.” In view of the unsafe situation caused by illegal foreign interference, the Strait of Hormuz is closed effective immediately until further notice and until the United States ceases its interference in the region.