NEW YORK - US stocks closed relatively flat in choppy trading on Tuesday as investors digested the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and navigated volatility in the energy markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.07 percent, to 47,706.51. The S&P 500 sank 0.21 percent to 6,781.48. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 0.01 percent to 22,697.10.

Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with energy and health leading the laggards by dropping 1.32 percent and 0.73 percent, respectively. Communication services and technology led the gainers by adding 0.26 percent and 0.08 percent, respectively.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures, the US benchmark, experienced sharp intraday swings before settling down more than 11 percent to $83.45 a barrel. Earlier, WTI had plunged below $77 following a post by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright claiming the US Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. The post was quickly deleted, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt subsequently issued a statement clarifying that no such naval escorts had taken place.

  Market participants expressed growing concerns over the potential consequences of high oil price. John Belton, a portfolio manager at the Gabelli Growth Fund, highlig