Brent crude tops $114, highest since April
Brent crude oil prices surpassed $114 per barrel on Friday, reaching their highest level since late April, as the December delivery contract rose 0.7% amid ongoing Middle East tensions. The price hit $114.1 in London futures trading after a 0.73% gain from Thursday's close, peaking at $114.7 overnight. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed attacks on four vessels in the Persian Gulf, while Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh by Yemen's Houthi rebels. US President Donald Trump dismissed Iranian reports of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz as "false" and aimed at raising fuel prices. The Houthi strikes, which killed two people at Dammam airport, prompted Washington to withdraw non-essential staff and consider a new offensive against Iran after the November 3 US elections.