Oil climbs after fresh US strikes on Iran over helicopter attack
The latest round of hostilities risks prolonging the near-total closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz
Published Wed, Jun 10, 2026 · 06:42 AM
[SINGAPORE] Oil rebounded after the US military launched strikes against Iran following the downing of an American helicopter, posing a new threat to a fragile ceasefire that’s been tested by recent attacks in the Middle East.
West Texas Intermediate rose as much as 1.9 per cent to US$89.91 a barrel after closing 3.4 per cent lower on Tuesday (Jun 9). Brent settled above US$91. The “self-defence strikes” on Iran were conducted under US President Donald Trump’s direction in response to the downing of an Apache helicopter, US Central Command said.
Trump earlier blamed Iran for attacking the helicopter, which he said was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz, and vowed a response. Iran’s armed forces are on full alert to respond to his threat, an Iranian lawmaker told the country’s semi-official Mehr News Agency in an interview.
The fresh US strikes imperil the stability of a shaky ceasefire in the region and negotiations for a more lasting accord between the warring parties. Trump has repeatedly said that peace talks are on track, after a flare-up earlier in the week saw Israel and Iran exchange attacks.
The latest round of hostilities risks prolonging the near-total closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz, which is subject to a double blockade by the US and Iran. The war, which started in late February, has choked off supplies of crude, fuels and natural gas, and raised concerns about an inflation crisis. BLOOMBERG
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