Oil prices briefly spiked above $100 per barrel early Thursday after a total of six tankers were attacked by Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
The two most recent attacks, apparently carried out by explosive-laden boats, hit the tankers Safesea Vishnu and Zefyros in Iraqi waters, killing at least one crew member and setting the vessels ablaze.
Those attacks followed projectile strikes on at least four ships in the Strait of Hormuz since Wednesday and caused Brent crude futures to jump past the century mark before giving up some gains.
The latest attacks came hours after President Trump ordered the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to bring down gas prices that have surged by an average of 60 cents per gallon since America and Israel began joint attacks on Iran Feb. 28.
