Oil prices edged higher Wednesday as markets assessed the risk of direct U.S. involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict. Brent crude rose 0.4% to $76.73, and WTI climbed 0.5% to $75.24 after both fell over 1% earlier. Trump called for Iran’s "unconditional surrender" and hinted at possible strikes on nuclear sites. Analysts say this could endanger energy infrastructure and trigger a shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit route. ING warned such a disruption could drive prices to $120 per barrel. Iran currently produces 3.3 million barrels per day. U.S. crude inventories fell by 10.1 million barrels last week, per API data.
