After the surprise attack on a U.S. base located in Jordan, President Trump signaled a hard response. Pointing to Iran as the culprit, he warned he would 'strike hard.'

The U.S. is investigating who was behind the attack and how it unfolded, assessing casualties and the extent of damage to facilities. The White House said it was weighing its response.

Iran was reported to have denied direct involvement or adopted a cautious posture. But Washington's hard-line rhetoric has sharply raised tensions between the two sides.

The episode lies along the line of weeks of U.S.-Iran armed clashes. International oil prices reacted sensitively to the news, moving higher.

The international community fears the impact of escalation on logistics and energy supply across the Middle East. The crude shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz is seen as an especially sensitive variable.

Rising oil prices also affect prices and business costs for Sinophone households in Korea, since higher transport and food-ingredient costs increase the burden on small merchants.

This paper places its weight on calmly conveying confirmed facts and their fallout, rather than sensational depictions of armed conflict.