Global crude oil prices fell on Friday after a sustained surge, as statements by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu helped ease market concerns over a further increase in attacks on energy infrastructure.Brent crude slipped to $107 a barrel after hitting its highest level since July 2022, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May hovered around $94. According to Bloomberg, the pullback came after a sharp surge due to supply disruptions in the Persian Gulf region. Asked about the possibility of deploying US ground forces, Trump said he was “not putting troops anywhere”. Meanwhile, Netanyahu indicated that Israel would avoid further attacks on Iranian energy facilities. The comments come after a wave of attacks earlier this week caused significant damage to key energy assets, including Qatar’s largest liquefied natural gas plant, which could take years to repair. Crude oil prices have surged this month, with Brent rising nearly 50% amid a near-complete disruption of flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil supplies. The disruption also widened the price gap between Brent and WTI to nearly $13 a barrel, reflecting stronger global supply concerns than the US market. “I thought there was a possibility that it could be much worse,” Trump said during a meeting with Japan’s prime minister. “It’s not bad, and it will be over very soon.”According to Bloomberg, US measures to control fuel prices, including the release of crude oil from strategic reserves, have increased pressure on WTI, contributing to its weak performance relative to Brent. Brent is on track for a weekly gain of about 4%, while WTI is headed for a decline of about 5%.Meanwhile, European natural gas prices have nearly doubled from pre-conflict levels, while fuel costs have risen globally, raising concerns about inflation.Netanyahu said Israel had previously acted independently in targeting Iran’s South Pars gas field, but would stop additional energy-related attacks. “I can see this war ending much quicker than people think,” he said, without giving a timeframe.Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant indicated that Washington is considering steps to lower oil prices, including potentially lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and tapping reserves. A White House official also said there were no plans to restrict US oil and gas exports after discussions with industry leaders. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has outlined a framework for the release of emergency reserves by member countries, with Japan, Canada and South Korea being major contributors. The agency estimates the conflict has disrupted Gulf producers’ output by about 10 million barrels per day, one of the largest supply shocks in the history of the oil market.Market participants remain cautious. “As fighting and conflict continue and energy infrastructure moves continue, it will be very difficult to calm the markets,” Rebecca Babin of CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC told Bloomberg. “It just becomes a game of what the next target is.”Analysts say the oil market is likely to remain volatile as long as Gulf infrastructure and shipping routes remain at risk.

रुद्रप्रयाग विधायक भरत चौधरी, राजपुर विधायक खजानदास, कपकोट विधायक सुरेश गढ़िया मंत्री पद की शपथ लेंगे. इसके अलावा दो नाम हरिद्वार और नैनीताल से हैं। ताजपोशी के लिए नए चेहरों का चयन विधायकों के पिछले चार साल के कामकाज के रिकॉर्ड को देखने के बाद किया गया है. नए मंत्रिमंडल में क्षेत्रीय और जातिगत समीकरणों के बीच संतुलन बनाया गया.

ये भी पढ़ें…उत्तराखंड: यूपी ही नहीं छह अन्य राज्यों के पूर्व कर्मचारी ले रहे थे दोगुनी पेंशन; बड़ा सवाल, अब कैसे होगी रिकवरी?

राज्य में लंबे समय से कैबिनेट विस्तार की चर्चाएं चल रही थीं. कैबिनेट विस्तार को लेकर राष्ट्रीय नेतृत्व से कई दौर की बातचीत हो चुकी है. सरकार और संगठन के बीच कैबिनेट विस्तार का होमवर्क पूरा होने के बाद इसके लिए नवरात्रि का शुभ समय चुना गया.

Iran stepped up its attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Gulf on Thursday, increasing the risk of war that could send a blow to the global economy.The strikes in response to an Israeli attack on a key Iranian gas field sent fuel prices soaring and threatened to draw Iran’s Arab neighbors into direct conflict. Global supplies are already under pressure from Tehran’s targeting of energy production because of Iran’s stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.

Iran targeted energy facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE. An Iranian missile attack also hit Israel’s oil refineries in the northern port city of Haifa.Underscoring the danger to ships in the region, a ship was set on fire off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and another ship was damaged near Qatar. Efforts to bypass the strait were also under pressure: an Iranian drone hit a Saudi Arabian refinery in the Red Sea, which the country was hoping to use as an alternative exit route.

Brent crude oil, the international standard, reached $118 a barrel, up more than 60% since Israel and the US began the war. The European benchmark for natural gas prices rose 17% on Thursday and have doubled in the past month. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said Thursday that the United States could lift sanctions on Iranian oil stuck in tankers to help increase global supply and lower prices.Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE condemned the Iranian attacks. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called these a “dangerous escalation”.But Iran showed no signs of backing down. QatarEnergy’s CEO and minister of state for energy told Reuters the attacks have damaged 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, causing an estimated $20 billion loss in annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe and Asia. Saudi Arabia said its SAMREF refinery in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu had been affected.Iran also targeted two refineries in Kuwait and gas operations in Abu Dhabi, local officials said. In Israel, more than a half-dozen waves of Iranian attacks targeting large parts of the country sent millions of people into shelters. The attacks caused damage to buildings. An Iranian missile attack hit Israel’s oil refineries in the northern port city of Haifa but did not cause “significant damage,” Israel’s energy ministry said Thursday.In Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the US military “controls the destiny” of Iran. “Iran has the ability to make the right choice,” he said. He further said that Tehran should not “go further and target Arab allies, Arab countries, that are trying to cause pain, pain that they themselves have caused.”Israel said on Thursday it struck Iranian targets in the Caspian Sea for the first time. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said the strikes hit dozens of targets, including ships, a shipyard and a command center.The Trump administration has cited various war objectives, including reducing Iran’s missile capabilities. Hegseth said Thursday that more leaders could be targeted, specifically mentioning the IRGC and the Basij force, whose leader was killed by Israel earlier this week. “The last job anyone in the world wants right now is senior IRGC or Basij leaders, temporary jobs, all of that,” Hegseth said.