Wall Street is mixed before the opening bell Wednesday and oil prices jumped more than 4% after Jordan and the U.S. knocked down another Iranian missile barrage launched against American forces in the Middle East.
Oil prices — which had eased from last week’s the two-month high — rebounded as a brief pause in fighting in the Iran war was shattered. Jordan’s air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, the country’s military said, hours after the U.S. military said it had knocked down an Iranian missile barrage.
The calm persisted for about three days following weeks of escalation over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway and narrow chokepoint through which 20% of the world’s traded oil normally flows.
Brent crude, the international standard, jumped $3.71 to $85.79 a barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude gained $3.78 to $83.04 a barrel.
Futures for the S&P 500 gained 0.2% in premarket trading, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.3%. Nasdaq futures rose 0.3%.
