Oil Prices Hold Firm Amid Mideast Tensions and US-Iran Standoff
Crude oil prices held steady around $82.5 per barrel on Monday, maintaining gains from last week as tensions in the Middle East remain high.
The weekend saw Israel launch fresh strikes on Lebanon that killed 11 people, including a senior Hezbollah commander, escalating regional tensions.
US President Donald Trump is preparing new economic sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to surrender, adding pressure on his administration to bring the military campaign to an end.
The interim ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran expires today, while negotiations to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled.