Oil and natural gas prices soar as Iran attacks Gulf energy facilities. Brent crude nears $114

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) 2026-03-19T03:03:44Z BANGKOK (AP) — Global oil and natural gas prices soared Thursday after Iran attacked a key natural gas facility in Qatar that can supply one-fifth of the worlds gas as well as two oil refineries in Kuwait. The attacks added to fears the energy crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic may be longer and more extensive than feared, with lasting damage to oil and gas production. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose to near $114 per barrel, up from under $73 per barrel on the eve of the war. The European TTF benchmark for natural gas prices traded 24% higher on Thursday. The Iranian attack hit the Ras Laffan terminal for shipping out liquefied natural gas in Qatar. Qatar normally supplies some 20% of the world’s consumption of LNG, which can be carried by ship. The facility shut down after a drone attack. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz to most tanker traffic has left the gas with nowhere to go. World shares retreated after stocks on Wall Street slumped as oil prices resumed their climb. U.S. stocks also sagged due to a report that said inflation was primed to worsen even before the war with Iran sent oil and gas prices spiking. That, and comments from the head of the Federal Reserve, led investors to expect there’s less chance of getting the lower interest rates that they crave. U.S. futures were little changed, while Treasury yields pushed higher, lending still more strength to the U.S. dollar, which has gained against other major currencies since the war began. Oil prices have soared because the war has disrupted the Persian Gulf’s energy industry. Iran is intensifying its

原文链接: AP News