Gold and silver surged, while international oil prices declined.

On April 17, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, announced that during the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial vessels.

Five minutes after the announcement, the spot gold price surged to USD 4,890.78 per ounce.

On the morning of April 17 (U.S. Eastern Time), June gold futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose by nearly 2% at one point, while May silver futures increased by more than 4%.

On the evening of April 17 (Beijing Time), WTI crude oil futures plunged by as much as 11.59% to USD 83.66 per barrel, while Brent crude futures dropped by up to 10.77% to USD 88.69 per barrel.

Iranian Parliament Speaker: Will Never Relinquish Control of the Strait of Hormuz

On April 17, Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on social media that control of the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran, a fact he claimed has been acknowledged by the United States. Iran will never relinquish its jurisdiction over the Strait.

Ghalibaf also said that U.S. President Donald Trump is “desperately eager” to reach an agreement with Iran, which, in his view, demonstrates the failure of any attempt to undermine Iranian civilization.

He further noted that the United States has not taken any military action in its maritime blockade against Iran, and Iran will not tolerate such actions under any circumstances.

内容来源：新华社、证券时报