Oil prices rose sharply as Middle East tensions escalated around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route. Iranian state media claimed missile strikes hit a U.S. warship near the area, though no independent official confirmation was provided, and an earlier reported U.S. operation near the strait was also described as unconfirmed by U.S. authorities. Across successive reports, Brent crude climbed above $113 per barrel and WTI rose from above $103-$104 to as high as $106.26, while Bitcoin fell to about $78,400 in a broader risk-off reaction.