Crude oil prices jumped more than 7% following Israeli airstrikes Thursday night on Iranian nuclear facilities.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose $5.22, or 7.67%, to $73.26 a barrel, and global benchmark Brent jumped $5.01, or 7.02%, to $74.23 a barrel, CNBC reported.
President Donald Trump expressed frustration earlier Thursday that oil prices rose amid supply concerns from potential conflict in the Middle East. Global and U.S. oil prices surged more than 4% on Wednesday to their highest levels since early April.
Dozens of Israeli aircraft participated in an initial wave of strikes on dozens of military targets and Iranian nuclear sites early. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that the goal of the operation was "to strike Iran's nuclear infrastructure, Iran's ballistic missile factories, and Iran's military capabilities," The Times of Israel reported.
Netanyahu said the operation will continue as long as is needed, warning that Iran "has significant capabilities to harm us."
"We prepared for that as well," he said.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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