Middle East tensions continue to escalate, pushing international crude oil prices up over 3% on Monday

According to Golden Ten Data on July 13, Iran announced over the weekend the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States carried out two strikes on Iran early this morning, escalating tensions between the US and Iran. At the start of trading on Monday, WTI crude oil rose more than 3%, approaching $74 per barrel; spot gold fell below the $4,100 mark, with a decline of nearly 0.8%; spot silver dropped more than 2%, quoted at $58.65 per ounce; Nasdaq futures fell 0.4%; the US Dollar Index (DXY) strengthened by over 10 points, and 10-year US Treasury bond futures fell by 5 points.