Oil touches seven-week high amid demand optimism, war concerns; brent crude at $85.53/bbl
Live MintOil prices reached seven-week highs on Wednesday, driven by optimism about summer demand and concerns over escalating conflicts, despite an industry report indicating an unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories. Brent crude futures for August, set to expire on Thursday, increased by 20 cents to $85.53 a barrel by 12:35 GMT, while the more actively traded September contract rose by 21 cents to $84.74. The Brent price being $8 above the lows reached in early June reflects genuine optimism that the global oil balance will eventually tighten. In the Middle East, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned of a potential "all-out war" with Lebanon's Hezbollah, despite U.S. efforts to prevent a broader conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group.