Brent crude price leaps above $84 as Hormuz attacks rattle oil markets
Brent crude jumped over 3% to $84.32 a barrel after tanker explosions and shipping disruptions near Kuwait and Iraq, with about 200 vessels stranded off major oil producers. U.S. crude inventories rose by 3.5 million barrels last week. JPMorgan warned Iraqi and Kuwaiti supplies could halt if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, threatening 3.3 million barrels per day. Diesel prices and physical crude premiums surged amid tightening supply.