Oil Prices Jump to $96 as US Strikes Iran and Threats Mount Over Strait of Hormuz

Oil Prices Spike on Renewed US-Iran Conflict

Harga minyak dunia melonjak hingga 96 dolar AS per barel setelah konflik militer antara Amerika Serikat dan Iran semakin memanas. [1] Minyak mentah Brent pada perdagangan Kamis naik hingga 96 dolar AS per barel, tertinggi dalam lebih dari satu bulan sekaligus mendekati level psikologis 100 dolar AS yang selama ini menjadi perhatian pasar energi global. [1] Sementara itu, minyak mentah West Texas Intermediate Amerika Serikat menguat menjadi 88,27 dolar AS per barel. [1] Reuters melaporkan bahwa kenaikan tersebut dipicu meningkatnya ketegangan di Timur Tengah yang kembali memunculkan kekhawatiran terhadap kelancaran pasokan energi dunia. [1] Pakar menilai gejolak ini berpotensi menekan biaya impor energi, subsidi BBM, hingga harga kebutuhan pokok di Indonesia. [1] Mantan Duta Besar RI untuk Iran, Dian Wirengjurit, mengatakan setiap eskalasi konflik di kawasan Teluk Persia hampir selalu langsung memengaruhi pasar energi dunia karena wilayah tersebut menjadi pusat distribusi minyak global. [1]

Escalation Involving US Strikes and Houthi Attacks

Lonjakan harga minyak terjadi setelah militer AS kembali melancarkan serangan terhadap target-target di Iran. [1] Di saat yang sama, kelompok Houthi di Yaman menyerang dua kapal tanker minyak di Laut Merah sehingga meningkatkan kekhawatiran terhadap keamanan jalur pelayaran internasional. [1] Pasar menilai eskalasi konflik tersebut memperbesar risiko terganggunya distribusi minyak global. [1] Dilansir Al Jazeera, lonjakan harga minyak terjadi setelah militer AS kembali melancarkan serangan terhadap target-target di Iran. [1] Houthi militants attacked two oil tankers in the Red Sea, heightening concerns over global oil supply routes. [1]

Strait of Hormuz Emerges as Flashpoint

Investor kini tertuju pada Selat Hormuz, jalur laut yang dilalui sekitar 20 persen pasokan minyak dunia setiap harinya. [1] Gangguan sekecil apa pun di kawasan tersebut dapat langsung memicu kenaikan harga minyak karena pasar mengantisipasi kemungkinan terganggunya pasokan energi. [1] Iran juga kembali menegaskan tidak akan membiarkan Amerika Serikat mencampuri pengelolaan Selat Hormuz. [1] Sementara Presiden AS, Donald Trump mengancam akan menyerang lebih banyak infrastruktur Iran apabila Teheran kembali menargetkan kapal-kapal di kawasan itu. [1] Menteri Luar Negeri Iran, Abbas Araghchi pun membalas ancaman tersebut. [1] "Setiap agresi terhadap Iran, termasuk terhadap infrastruktur kami, akan memicu respons yang kuat dan tegas," kata Araghchi. [1] The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of world oil supply passes daily, is a focal point, with Iran vowing to block US interference and President Trump threatening further attacks on Iranian infrastructure. [1]

US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Proliferation Concerns

USA dan Saudi-Arabia telah signert en historisk atomavtale. [3] Avtalen skal styrke det strategiske partnerskapet mellom de to landene. [3] Onsdag kveld norsk tid kom bekreftelsen fra det amerikanske energidepartementet at USA og Saudi-Arabia har signert en historisk atomavtale. [3] Ifølge amerikanske myndigheter er det snakk om et partnerskap som strekker seg over flere tiår. [3] Avtalen innebærer at amerikanske selskaper skal levere teknologi og ekspertise til Saudi-Arabia. [3] Det kan gi den mektige golfstaten mulighet til å anrike sitt eget uran – noe myndighetene lenge har ønsket seg. [3] Vær trygg på at disse avtalene opprettholder de høyeste standardene for atomsikkerhet og ikke-spredning, sier energiminister Chris Wright. [3] Senator Ed Markey frykter at avtalen kan utløse et atomvåpenkappløp i Midtøsten. [3] Denne avtalen er uansvarlig og farlig, sier han i en uttalelse. [3] Markey mener Trumps regjering ikke stiller strenge nok sikkerhetsgarantier mot atomvåpenutvikling. [3] Avtalen risikerer å utløse et atomvåpenkappløp i Midtøsten. [3] Senatoren peker på at avtalen annonseres midt i en pågående krig med Iran. [3] Ironisk nok åpner administrasjonen nå døren for at Saudi-Arabia kan få tilgang til den samme teknologien, sier Markey. [3] Avtalen ble undertegnet av Wright og prins Abdulaziz bin Salman, som er Saudi-Arabias energiminister. [3] Nå sendes avtalen videre til den amerikanske kongressen. [3]

Malaysia Rejects US Pressure Over Israel Ban

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has rebuffed a threat by eight US lawmakers to suspend military training funds unless Kuala Lumpur reverses its long-standing restrictions on Israeli nationals. [2] Muslim-majority Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has long been one of Southeast Asia’s most vocal supporters of Palestinian statehood. [2] Anwar said Malaysia was exercising its sovereign right to control entry and rejected the lawmakers’ assertion that his government was violating international law by pledging to deport Israeli citizens, including dual nationals, found living in Malaysia. [2] This is totally absurd because, as far as we are concerned, this policy has been adopted by Malaysia for decades, he told reporters in Seremban on Wednesday. [2] We are against the presence here of any Israeli citizen – not Jews, but Israeli citizens because they are complicit in the murders, crimes and continuous oppression and colonisation of Palestine and Gaza. [2] The confrontation followed a letter on Tuesday to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio from Democratic members of Congress Greg Landsman, Josh Gottheimer, Jimmy Panetta, Dan Goldman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz, Brad Sherman and Jake Auchincloss, accusing Anwar of vowing to hunt down and expel citizens of a close American ally solely because of their nationality. [2]

Potential Global and Regional Impacts

Pakar menilai gejolak ini berpotensi menekan biaya impor energi, subsidi BBM, hingga harga kebutuhan pokok di Indonesia. [1] Mantan Duta Besar RI untuk Iran, Dian Wirengjurit, mengatakan setiap eskalasi konflik di kawasan Teluk Persia hampir selalu langsung memengaruhi pasar energi dunia karena wilayah tersebut menjadi pusat distribusi minyak global. [1] Qatar welcomes Dutch, Belgian bans on imports from illegal Israeli settlements. [4] Doha calls for broader international action to halt Israeli settlement expansion. [4]

What to watch next: The nuclear agreement is now sent to the US Congress for review while experts continue to assess effects on energy import costs and subsidies in Indonesia, and Qatar urges wider international measures against Israeli settlement expansion.