Soaring Crude Oil Prices Heighten Inflation Fears;WTI CRUDE OILTVC:USOILWillie_ColetteSoaring Crude Oil Prices Heighten Inflation Fears; Expectations Rise for Fed to Keep "Rates Higher for Longer" Market attention is currently focused intently on developments within the energy sector. Crude oil prices surged on Monday, touching a nearly four-week high. This rally was primarily triggered by strong rhetoric from U.S. President Trump, who stated that if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by Tuesday, the United States would consider striking key Iranian infrastructure, such as power plants and bridges. Meanwhile, Iran has put forward new conditions for negotiations, explicitly stating that shipping through this strategic waterway can only resume if a portion of the transit revenue is allocated to compensate Iran for losses sustained during the war. Furthermore, Ali Akbar Velayati—an advisor to Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei—issued a warning that the "Axis of Resistance" could potentially take action targeting the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. The potential risks surrounding this critical maritime chokepoint have further exacerbated concerns regarding disruptions to global trade routes, thereby continuing to drive up crude oil prices. Strong U.S. non-farm payroll data released last Friday demonstrated that the U.S. labor market remains resilient. This has further reinforced market expectations that the Federal Reserve may need to maintain high interest rates for a longer duration in order to combat inflation. Consequently, the U.S. dollar has found support, while gold has faced some selling pressure.