"Two Oil Tankers Hit by Iranian Missiles"... Global Oil Prices Surge Amid Chaos

[Anchor]

Amid rising military tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, two oil tankers from the United Arab Emirates have been attacked by Iran. Global oil prices have surged by more than 9 percent, causing chaos in international financial markets, while the price of SK Hynix depository receipts on the Nasdaq market fell by over 9 percent.

Kim Minpyo reports.

[Reporter]

The United Arab Emirates announced that two oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz via Omani territorial waters were attacked by Iran.

The UAE Ministry of Defense stated, "Two state-owned oil tankers were targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles," adding that "one Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured."

While Gulf nations have previously refrained from specifying the perpetrators of such attacks, the UAE clearly identified Iran and warned that it would take all necessary measures to protect its territory and citizens.

Until Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in early March, large vessels used the shipping route through Omani territorial waters. However, Iranian authorities have designated this route as a danger zone and are insisting that vessels must follow the safe passage they have established to transit the strait.

As armed clashes continue in the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have soared.

Brent crude oil futures rose by 9.6 percent, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures also climbed by 9.4 percent.

[Alexander Morris / CEO of investment firm FM Investment: The blockade has restarted, the ceasefire is in jeopardy, and they are shooting at each other again. The chaos has returned.]

Concerns over rising inflation caused interest rates to fluctuate, with the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rising by more than 0.04 percent.

The Nasdaq index, which is home to technology companies that rely on raising capital for investment, was immediately affected, falling by 1.6 percent.

The price of SK Hynix depository receipts, which closed at 168 dollars on their first day of trading last week, also dropped by 9.3 percent to 152.35 dollars.

While this remains about 25 percent higher than the stock listed domestically, the price has fallen close to the initial public offering price of 149 dollars in just two days, appearing to lose the upward momentum seen at the time of its initial listing.

(Video Editing: Jeon Min-gyu)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.