Jordan says Iranian missiles intercepted before reaching their targets
Jordanian armed forces said that they intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran toward the al-Azraq area in Jordan, the Guardian reported on Wednesday. The military said that debris from the interception operation fell on Jordanian territory but caused no injuries or material damage.
Earlier, the Iranian military said it targeted a US base in Jordan with a missile attack. Iranian media reported that Al-Azraq targets included F-35 hangars and command-and-control centers. The source said they used long-range missiles in an attack on Al-Azraq BASE in Jordan.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with drones in response to US strikes on areas in southern Iran, adding that strikes are continuing. The IRGC warned of “a more severe response” if what it describes as US “aggression” continues. Iran's revolutionary guards on Wednesday also said that they targeted Ali Al Salem Base in Kuwait with drones.
Earlier Wednesday, the US launched a third wave of strikes on Iran targeting Bandar Abbas, Jask, Qeshm and Sirik, as at least three ballistic missiles were reported fired from Isfahan in apparent retaliation, per the New York Times. This action came as Washington launched retaliatory strikes against Iran on Tuesday in what it called a proportional response to the shooting down of a US helicopter gunship near the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.
Iran’s state television reported that explosions and air defense sirens were heard in several cities along Iran’s Persian Gulf coast, including the city of Sirik and the island of Qeshm. Two Iranian officials stated that the airstrikes had targeted military bases and other installations, including artillery batteries.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the “self-defense” strikes carried out on US President Donald Trump’s order were “a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.”
Market reaction
At the time of writing, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is up 0.05% on the day at $87.40.
WTI Oil FAQs
WTI Oil is a type of Crude Oil sold on international markets. The WTI stands for West Texas Intermediate, one of three major types including Brent and Dubai Crude. WTI is also referred to as “light” and “sweet” because of its relatively low gravity and sulfur content respectively. It is considered a high quality Oil that is easily refined. It is sourced in the United States and distributed via the Cushing hub, which is considered “The Pipeline Crossroads of the World”. It is a benchmark for the Oil market and WTI price is frequently quoted in the media.
Like all assets, supply and demand are the key drivers of WTI Oil price. As such, global growth can be a driver of increased demand and vice versa for weak global growth. Political instability, wars, and sanctions can disrupt supply and impact prices. The decisions of OPEC, a group of major Oil-producing countries, is another key driver of price. The value of the US Dollar influences the price of WTI Crude Oil, since Oil is predominantly traded in US Dollars, thus a weaker US Dollar can make Oil more affordable and vice versa.
The weekly Oil inventory reports published by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) impact the price of WTI Oil. Changes in inventories reflect fluctuating supply and demand. If the data shows a drop in inventories it can indicate increased demand, pushing up Oil price. Higher inventories can reflect increased supply, pushing down prices. API’s report is published every Tuesday and EIA’s the day after. Their results are usually similar, falling within 1% of each other 75% of the time. The EIA data is considered more reliable, since it is a government agency.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is a group of 12 Oil-producing nations who collectively decide production quotas for member countries at twice-yearly meetings. Their decisions often impact WTI Oil prices. When OPEC decides to lower quotas, it can tighten supply, pushing up Oil prices. When OPEC increases production, it has the opposite effect. OPEC+ refers to an expanded group that includes ten extra non-OPEC members, the most notable of which is Russia.
Author
Lallalit Srijandorn
FXStreet
Lallalit Srijandorn is a Parisian at heart. She has lived in France since 2019 and now becomes a digital entrepreneur based in Paris and Bangkok.
