Oil prices moved sharply on Wednesday after Iran reportedly struck targets linked to U.S. Gulf allies, following an earlier American attack on Iran. Brent crude, the international benchmark that sets the reference price for oil contracts traded between countries, was near $96 a barrel as Mideast tensions continued to escalate.
The short version: the United States attacked Iran, and Tehran reportedly hit back at American allies in the Gulf. That exchange kept energy markets on edge through the session.
Oil markets were volatile Wednesday. Volatile, in market terms, means prices swung in both directions rather than trending one way. The reported Iranian strikes on U.S. Gulf allies, combined with the prior American attack on Iran, gave traders little to anchor on through the day.
Mideast tensions had been building before Wednesday's reported strikes. Brent crude near $96 was the market's position as the session played out.