Oil Hits 3-Month High on Mideast Hostilities

Crude oil rose above $94 a barrel on Wednesday, scaling three-month highs after Iran said it had struck two American vessels and eight oil tankers in the Gulf. The escalation heightened concerns over further disruptions to global oil supplies. Tehran also launched ballistic missiles toward Jordan and warned vessels in the Persian Gulf, urging tanker crews near Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to “immediately abandon their vessels.” The latest attacks followed US strikes on five Iranian tankers near Kharg Island, the Islamic Republic’s main oil export hub. Elsewhere, Iran-backed Houthi militants targeted energy infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia, including the 400,000-barrel-a-day Jazan refinery. Meanwhile, stronger Chinese oil demand is lifting prices for African, Canadian and Latin American crude as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz push refiners to seek alternative supplies from more distant markets.

Crude oil rose above $94 a barrel on Wednesday, scaling three-month highs after the US struck several Iranian tankers near Kharg Island, a major crude export hub. The attacks heightened geopolitical tensions and raised concerns about further disruptions to global oil supplies. A US official said the strikes came in response to an attempted missile attack on a US warship. Tehran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles toward Jordan and warning vessels in the Persian Gulf, urging tanker crews near Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports to “immediately abandon their vessels.” Iran-backed Houthi militants also attacked energy infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia, including the 400,000-barrel-a-day Jazan refinery. Meanwhile, stronger Chinese oil demand is pushing up prices for African, Canadian and Latin American crude as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz force refiners to look farther afield for alternative supplies.

Crude oil climbed back to $94 a barrel on Tuesday, the highest in three months, amid growing concerns over potential supply disruptions. The US military has struck targets near Kharg Island and the port city of Jask. The targets included Iranian oil tankers. Iran’s key oil export hub, the island is the loading point for around 90% of the country’s crude shipments. Saudi Aramco facilities were hit in fresh attacks on Monday, while Iran-backed Houthi militants claimed responsibility for targeting the 400,000-barrel-a-day Jazan refinery and other facilities serving the domestic market. The US military struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Navy warships. Adding to bullish pressures, Iran said Monday it would establish a new shipping corridor with Oman in the Strait of Hormuz. Vessels would be required to coordinate with Tehran to enter a new restricted maritime zone around the waterway.