Oil tops $100 again as Middle East tensions rattle energy markets

Oil has climbed above $100 for the first time since May after a fifth straight day of gains, as reports of Red Sea attacks added fresh pressure to already tense markets. Oil prices pushed above $100 a barrel for the first time since May, extending a run of gains as unrest in the Middle East continued to unsettle traders. The move came after a fifth straight day of increases, with markets watching the region closely for any disruption to supply routes and production. According to the Al Jazeera report, the latest pressure followed an announcement from Yemen’s Houthi movement that it had struck Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea. That claim, and the broader conflict context around it, has added another layer of uncertainty to an already fragile energy outlook. For consumers and businesses, the immediate significance is not just the headline price. Oil above the $100 mark tends to feed expectations of higher fuel and transport costs, and it can also raise concerns about inflation if elevated prices hold. Even when the jump is driven by geopolitical risk rather than a sharp shift in demand, markets often react quickly because crude remains a core input across the global economy.