Aluminum prices jump as Middle East tensions rises

Aluminum prices surged Monday after attacks targeted two of the world’s largest smelters in the Gulf, raising fresh concerns over global supply. The metal climbed more than 4% to around $3,435 a ton in early trading, after briefly spiking as much as 6%.

The strikes, claimed by Iran, hit key production sites in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates regions that have become critical suppliers to global markets. Analysts say the escalation adds pressure to an already fragile supply chain.

“The intensifying conflict in the Middle East is pushing both oil and aluminum prices higher right from the market open,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya of Swissquote Bank.

With the region playing a growing role in supplying aluminum to major economies like the United States, Europe, and Japan especially after sanctions on Russian metal any disruption could ripple quickly across industries.

For now, markets are reacting fast. And if tensions continue to rise, aluminum could be heading for even higher ground.