Global oil prices soared past $90 a barrel and stocks slid in Asia as the US-Iran conflict widened, with Tehran vowing “not a single drop” of oil or gas would transit the Strait of Hormuz if US aggression continues.
The latest round of attacks came shortly after Washington announced that a third soldier had been killed, bringing the US death toll from the war to 17.
Nine nights of strikes have reignited predictions of higher inflation in the US; ironically, this could limit President Donald Trump’s options for ending the conflict, which is damaging his party’s chances in November’s midterm elections. “Trump has only terrible choices with Iran,” an expert wrote in The Atlantic.