Brent crude climbed to a four-week high on Tuesday as markets digested fresh escalatory rhetoric from the White House regarding Iran.
President Donald Trump threatened "harder strikes" on the Islamic Republic, reigniting fears of a broader conflict that could disrupt global energy supplies.
The comments mark a significant hardening of tone in US-Iran relations, moving beyond diplomatic posturing to explicit military threats.
The immediate market reaction was swift.
Oil prices surged on the prospect of renewed supply disruption risks in the Persian Gulf.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes, remains the focal point of investor anxiety.