Oil Tops $100 a Barrel as US-Iran Clashes and Houthi Attacks Escalate

Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel for the first time since July after the US military said it destroyed multiple Iranian naval vessels following an Iranian missile attempt on a US warship, and Iran-backed Houthis struck four Saudi cities, wounding over 70 people and igniting oil facilities. Six months into open conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, prices have surged 25% since early August as ceasefire hopes collapsed, also pushing UK gas prices to a three-and-a-half-year high. This is a documented widening of direct US-Iran military engagement alongside Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia, marking a material escalation toward broader regional war.