Moscow stock exchange reaches all-time record as oil prices rise following Soleimani assassination

On January 3, as the Moscow Exchange opened for the first time in 2020, its index reached its highest point in history. By 1:30 PM local time, the index had grown to 3083.49 points.

According to Kommersant, the index has grown primarily due to rising oil mining stocks. Stock analysists therefore linked the Moscow Exchange record to rising oil prices triggered by the U.S. assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian major general and leader of the Quds Force.

In both Europe and the United States, the price of a barrel of oil has risen by more than four percent in the past day. Soleimani’s killing has triggered fears of a bloody regional war.