Oil rises as tension in the Middle East mounts
Brent is up 3.4% for the week while market awaits decision from Opec and other producers over whether to continue with supply cuts
Tokyo — Oil prices rose again on Friday and were on track for the first weekly gains in May, as rising tensions in the Middle East stoked fears of supply disruptions. Brent crude futures were at $73.00 a barrel at 3.03am GMT, up 38c, or 0.5%, from their last close, rising for a fourth straight session. Brent was up 3.4% for the week, on track for its first gain in three weeks. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $63.32 per barrel, up 4c, or 0.7%. WTI was also up for a fourth day and was headed for a weekly gain of 2.7%, the first rise in four weeks. A Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen carried out several air strikes on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday after the Iranian-aligned movement claimed responsibility for drone attacks on two Saudi oil pumping stations earlier in the week. Earlier this week, staff were evacuated from the US embassy in Baghdad, while US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of an aircraft carrier group, B-52 bombers and ...
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