Houthi Attack Sends Brent Crude Soaring Above $80

Brent crude futures surged past $80 per barrel on Wednesday after Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea.

The Houthis said they had targeted a Saudi oil tanker with a ballistic missile off the coast of Yanbu, a major Saudi port used for crude oil exports.

The attack raised concerns about disruptions to global energy supplies and pushed Brent prices up by $1.51, or 1.9%, to trade at $80.87 per barrel by 11:23 GMT.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures also rose, gaining 90 cents, or 1.19%, to $76.67 per barrel, according to Al Jazeera.