NEXXTGEN @NEXXTGEN: "U.S. crude oil futures surpassed..."

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U.S. crude oil futures surpassed $78 per barrel on Thursday amid escalating fears of a direct conflict between Israel and Iran following the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran. Iran's Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike on Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, according to three Iranian officials. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) has surged nearly 5% since Haniyeh's assassination on Wednesday. Khamenei issued the order for a direct strike during an emergency meeting of Iran’s national security council on Wednesday morning after Haniyeh's death. Here are today’s energy prices: West Texas Intermediate (September contract): $78.33 per barrel, up 42 cents, or 0.55%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has gained 9.3%. Brent (September contract): $81.39 per barrel, up 55 cents, or 0.68%. Year to date, the global benchmark has gained 5.7%. RBOB Gasoline (September contract): $2.45 per gallon, little changed. Year to date, gasoline is up 16.8%. Natural Gas (September contract): $2.07 per thousand cubic feet, up 3 cents, or 1.7%. Year to date, gas is down 17.7%. Top Iranian officials are scheduled to meet Thursday with representatives of Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and militant groups in Iraq. “The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh overnight in Tehran escalates this conflict significantly and brings the region closer to a wider war,” said Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. In April, Iran and Israel traded direct strikes, pushing oil prices to the highest point of the year, but they ultimately pulled back from a full-scale war. “At the time of writing, we are not certain whether the same containment dynamics will prevail, especially given that this current chapter involves Hamas, Hezbollah, as well as Iran,” Croft added. “At a minimum, the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks appear to be severely imperiled.” These rising tensions coincide with an OPEC+ committee meeting on Thursday to review members’ production quotas. Best regards, NexxtGen Markets | London nexxtgen.pro Please note that prices and figures were correct at the initial time of composing my update but may well have changed by the time it was actually published. I am by no means an expert and certainly do not claim to be one. I am just passionate about the Global Financial Markets. Trade according to your own risk tolerance. $OIL $XLE $USO $AMLP

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