Mortgage rates in the United States have risen to their highest levels since August.

Mortgage rates in the United States rose to the highest level since August last week, not only dampening home purchases but also causing a sharp decline in refinancing activities. According to data released by the American Bankers Association on Wednesday, the contract interest rate for a 30-year mortgage rose by 9 basis points to 6.65% in the week ending May 22. Since the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February, this rate has increased by more than 0.5 percentage points. At the same time, the Association's refinancing index dropped by more than 18%, hitting a nearly one-year low. The housing application index also showed a decline for the second consecutive week. As the Middle East conflict intensified concerns about inflation in the market, the yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds, which serves as a benchmark for mortgage rate trends, has been trending upward recently. Just last Tuesday, the yield soared to the highest level since January last year.