Brent crude hovered near $110 a barrel on Tuesday as Houthi claims of attacks on Saudi facilities and concerns over a possible escalation of the Middle East conflict kept oil supply risks in focus.
International benchmark Brent crude futures for December delivery rose 0.28% to $109.86 a barrel at 9:52 a.m. local time (0652 GMT), compared with the previous close of $109.55.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for December delivery gained 0.09% to $98.63 a barrel, up from $98.54 at the previous close.
Yemen’s Houthi group claimed on Monday that it had carried out attacks targeting Saudi facilities.
In a statement posted on Telegram, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted the Shaybah oil field, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport.
The claims added to concerns over the security of regional energy infrastructure and the potential for further disruptions to global oil supplies. However, the claims alone do not establish whether the facilities were hit or whether oil production or exports were affected.
Meanwhile, statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump added to uncertainty over the possibility of renewed military action against Iran.
Netanyahu hinted at further action against Iran in a video posted on X following a phone call with Trump.
At a campaign rally in Alaska last Tuesday, Trump also signaled possible further action against Tehran, saying, “Wait till you see what we do to Iran. We’re going to do a number.”