The international oil benchmark Brent crude touched $99 per barrel Tuesday after tensions among the U.S., its allies and Iran flared up again.Late Tuesday, oil spiked for the second time in 24 hours after Iranian state media reported explosions in the area of Kharg Island.The U.S. struck multiple Iranian oil tankers that officials say are linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S. official told NBC News. The strikes were a response to attempted attacks by Iran on at least one U.S. ship in the region, the official added.Tuesday’s initial oil price spike had been triggered by news of attacks on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure by what the kingdom’s state-run media called “terrorist” Houthis. The attacks paused operations, and 73 civilians were reportedly injured.By 4 p.m. ET, Brent oil had hit $99, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up more than 2.7%, to over $94 per barrel. Wholesale gas prices also rose almost 2%.The Saudis condemned Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which is west of Saudi Arabia, and their “threats to freedom of international maritime navigation.” Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter.After Iran launched ballistic missiles toward U.S. Navy ships, the U.S. struck three Iranian oil tankers Sunday, sinking one of them.The renewed hostilities have kept Strait of Hormuz traffic at a minimum, with just four ships passing through the waterway Saturday, followed by six Sunday. Before the war, the strait carried more than 20% of the world’s energy supply as that oil was shipped to ports around the globe.Meanwhile, vessel traffic in the equally important Bab el Mandeb Strait, between the Arabian Peninsula and northeastern Africa, was slightly compressed from the previous week. According to figures from MarineTraffic, vessel transits fell 16% from the previous week, although overall traffic of more than 260 ships last week was still significantly higher than in the Strait of Hormuz.On Tuesday, the national average gas price was unchanged from Monday, at $4.15 per gallon; however, it has risen 6 cents from a week ago and 14 cents from a month ago.Since the war started, Brent has risen 36%, and motor club AAA’s national average gas price has risen 40%. Since the start of the year, the price of oil as measured by Brent is higher by more than 62%.Diesel fuel set a record over the weekend at $5.90 per gallon, which was unchanged Tuesday.The price of oil remains a significant concern for the White House as the midterm elections near. President Donald Trump claimed on social media Monday that “oil prices will drop precipitously, like everything else is dropping (but more!), when we WIN the war with Iran.” Prices could fall to as low as “two dollars a gallon,” he added.Diesel prices hit a record high Friday in the U.S.Ellen Schmidt / APOn Wall Street, however, analysts and investors saw more potential upside for oil prices. Goldman Sachs commodities analysts forecast that if Persian Gulf oil flows remain low, “Brent might exceed $120.”“We view more intense shipping attacks in Hormuz and the Red Sea as the most likely driver of this lower-output, higher-price scenario,” they wrote in a note to their clients Monday.HSBC’s analysts agreed. “If diplomacy fails and Hormuz flows stay near current levels, inventories could draw toward operational lows and Brent could rise” to around $120, they wrote Tuesday.Inventories, or global stockpiles of crude oil, have been drawn down this spring and summer at a rapid clip, after governments around the world agreed in early March to release 400 million barrels of oil in a bid to ease soaring prices. HSBC’s oil and gas analysts said their base case, or the likeliest scenario they see, is for Brent to hover around $95 through the end of the year. However, they also warned that their forecast for Brent has been revised higher to $85 per barrel for 2027 and to $75 per barrel “for 2028 and beyond.” Bank of America commodity strategist Francisco Blanch warned that if “skirmishes curbing oil flows continue into year end,” he sees Brent trading at $95 to $120 per barrel.Blanch also warned that a “broader conflict resulting in major energy infrastructure damage” could lead to oil prices as high as $150. Before the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28, Brent traded around $70 per barrel.“Markets are increasingly pricing a prolonged Mideast conflict,” Goldman Sachs’ team added in its note. Higher oil prices have also translated into higher bond yields and higher borrowing costs for the U.S. government and for consumers by extension. On Tuesday, two-year Treasury yields, which are among the most sensitive to potential inflation, hit their highest level since November 2024. The 10-year Treasury yield, which heavily influences consumer borrowing rates, rose to 4.812%, which was just short of its highest level since November 2023. Stocks were less affected by oil prices than bonds were. Nonetheless, the S&P 500 closed down 0.58%, while the Nasdaq Composite ended the day lower by about 0.3%.