Brent crude futures jumped close to $3 on Friday to their highest since September after a U.S. air strike killed key Iranian and Iraqi military personnel, raising concerns that escalating Middle East tensions may disrupt oil supplies.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 jumped nearly $3 to hit a high of $69.16 a barrel, the highest since Sept. 17. The front-month Brent March contract was at $68.25 a barrel, up $2.00, or 3%, by 0258 GMT.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 rose $1.76, or 2.9%, to $62.94 a barrel. Earlier, it touched $63.84 a barrel, highest since May 1.
In the first official reaction to the attack in Baghdad, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday the assassination of Iran Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani was, “an extremely dangerous and foolish escalation.”
“The U.S. bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism,” he said in a post on Twitter.
See also Top Iranian General Soleimani killed by US Military on Trump’s orders
Via Reuters
Updated 1145
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