OIL FUTURES EXTEND GAINS, BRENT CRUDE PRICES UP BY $4 A BARREL TO FIVE-MONTH HIGH AS HOUTHI ATTACKS STOKE MIDDLE EAST SUPPLY FEARS

Brent crude futures rose roughly $4 a barrel to a five-month high after Houthi attacks heightened concerns about disruption to Middle East supply, with the gains extending through the session. The primary transmission channel is supply risk premium: attacks on shipping or infrastructure in the region raise the probability of constrained barrels reaching global markets, pushing up front-month prices and steepening the futures curve as traders bid for near-term delivery. Brent is the most directly exposed benchmark, given its role as the pricing reference for much of the world's seaborne crude, while Middle East equities and regional currencies tied to energy revenues are also sensitive to the move. Traders should watch the next OPEC+ production signals and weekly EIA inventory data, since any sign that spare capacity or inventories can absorb a disruption would likely cap the rally.

Brent crude is the international oil benchmark, priced in the North Sea. Unlike WTI it reflects global supply/demand — Middle East geopolitics, OPEC+ cuts, Russian export sanctions, and Asian refinery demand all drive Brent intraday.

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