Oil prices rise more than 3% following new military attacks in the Persian Gulf.

At 8:40 am (Brasilia time) this Friday (10), the August contract of WTI crude oil recorded a significant increase of 3.47% in New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), quoted at US$73.89/barrel. The September contract for Brent It advanced 3.38% in Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), trading at US$78.58/barrel. 

Yesterday (10), WTI fell 0.93%, to US$ 71.41/barrel, while Brent dropped 0.38%, to US$ 76.01/barrel. On the other hand, for the week, the contracts accumulated gains of 3.82% and 5.39%, respectively. 

In this trading session, fuel prices were driven by the market's reaction to the resumption of attacks between the United States and Iran, which rekindled fears about energy spills through the Strait of Hormuz. 

The countries exchanged attacks over the weekend. According to Iran, American bases in the Gulf, Kuwait, and Bahrain were bombed. 

Vessel tracking data indicate that ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to its lowest level in five weeks yesterday (12). Despite tensions, US President Donald Trump said the route is open.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.