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Major US equity benchmarks opened lower on Thursday as crude oil prices climbed to $100 a barrel.

At the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 174.7 points, or 0.37%, to 47242.52. The S&P 500 fell 34.9 points, or 0.52%, to 6740.88​, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 189.5 points, or 0.83%, to 22526.585.

The Middle Eastern conflict drove crude valuations back toward $100 a barrel this Thursday.

Iran has intensified its strikes, intended to inflict sufficient financial distress to compel the United States and Israel to cease the hostilities they initiated on February 28, focusing on petroleum sites and processing plants.

Tehran's maneuvers have effectively halted maritime commerce through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil usually travels.

Experts warned that if the Hormuz corridor stays blocked, fuel costs could escalate to $150 per barrel with significant speed.With a distinguished career spanning nearly two decades at the highest levels of financial journalism, Rajendra Kumar Saxena stands as a cornerstone o...

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