Oil Nears $100 As Fresh Middle East Strikes Raise Supply Risks
Brent crude futures rose 1.4 per cent, to $99.33 a barrel by 0212 GMT (6.12 am UAE time), while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $94.34 a barrel, up 1.4 per cent.
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Brent crude prices have jumped by a quarter since early August as hopes for a permanent resolution to the six-month-old war faded and as fighting flared again, with prices fast approaching the key $100-a-barrel mark.
The Middle East war intensified on Tuesday with Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen launching strikes on several Saudi cities, further embroiling a US ally in the conflict.
The US forces hit multiple Iranian oil tankers and Iran targeted a US base in Jordan.
“Recent developments only reinforce the view that we are still some way from a restart in (peace) talks. In the meantime, the market is likely to continue to price in a sizeable risk premium,” ING analysts said in a note.
The latest attacks threaten to deepen disruptions to Middle East oil supplies, already strained by strikes on regional energy infrastructure and key shipping lanes.
While Saudi Arabia has diverted some exports away from the Strait of Hormuz, any sustained attacks on the kingdom could complicate efforts to keep crude flowing to global markets, analysts said.
“Iran's attacks on Saudi energy facilities and the subsequent destruction of five Iranian tankers raised concerns about another prolonged disruption to oil supplies,” OCBC analysts said in a note.
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