Trump’s four-hour threat, an explosion on Harker Island, and oil prices are currently reacting only mildly

ME News message, April 7 (UTC+8). After Iran’s Mehr news agency reported an explosion on Khark Island, oil prices rose somewhat. At a Monday press briefing, Trump said that if Iran failed to meet the demands before the 8 p.m. Eastern Time deadline, the U.S. could destroy all bridges to Iran’s power plants within four hours. This escalation is likely to cause energy prices to jump. In addition, the Wall Street Journal reported that negotiators were pessimistic about Iran meeting Trump’s demand to allow ships free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. But oil prices still did not move significantly. Perhaps the market doesn’t believe Trump will stick to his deadline. AJ Bell analyst Dan Coatsworth said, “Either Washington or Tehran backs down—this could trigger a sharp rebound in the stock market and a pullback in energy prices. Or the situation escalates significantly, affecting financial markets in various ways.” However, there is a third possible outcome. He added, “Another scenario is that the deadline is extended, and the market will go through another period of unease as it tries to gauge the latest moves by both the U.S. and Iran.” (Jin Ten) (Source: ODAILY)