International crude oil prices surged sharply on the evening of March 19. By 17:30 Beijing time, Brent crude futures had accelerated their climb, with gains expanding to 8.44%, pushing the price above $110 per barrel. US WTI crude oil also rose above $96 per barrel.

According to a report from Israeli media cited by Xinhua News Agency on the 18th, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes that day on what was described as a "main natural gas facility" located in the city of Bushehr in southern Iran, and was reportedly preparing to attack other Iranian infrastructure.

On the same day, a spokesperson for the Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces stated that there would be a severe retaliation for any attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure. Additionally, the commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy posted on social media that oil facilities associated with the United States would be considered equivalent to US military bases and would face fierce attacks.

Analysts from Citigroup believe that Brent crude futures could climb to $120 per barrel in the coming days. They further suggested that if energy infrastructure suffers widespread attacks and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for an extended period, the average price of Brent crude futures could reach $130 per barrel in the second and third quarters of this year.