Oil Prices Shed 2% As Shippers Gamble on Red Sea

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices are down over 2% on Wednesday, with Brent crude closing in on similar losses on the day as global shipping giants gear up to resume traversing the Red Sea despite an ongoing Houthi missile barrage.  At 3:43 p.m. ET on Wednesday, WTI was trading down 2.02% at $74.04. Brent crude was trading down 1.86% at $79.56.  Oil prices have continued to track downwards on faith that a U.S.-led international task force, dubbed Prosperity Guardian, will be able to protect merchant vessels from…