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Oil climbs on Mideast escalation fears, United States rate cut expectations

Oil prices extended gains on Monday on fears a significant spillover in battling from the Gaza conflict into the Middle East might interrupt local oil supplies, while impending U.S. rates of interest cuts lifted the global economic and fuel demand outlook.

Brent unrefined futures climbed 53 cents, or 0.7%, to $ 79.55 a barrel by 0425 GMT while U.S. unrefined futures were at $75.34 a barrel, up 51 cents, or 0.7%.

In one of the biggest clashes in more than 10 months of border warfare, Hezbollah fired numerous rockets and drones into Israel on Sunday, as Israel's armed force said it struck Lebanon with around 100 jets to ward off a bigger attack.

The clash raises fears the Gaza dispute dangers morphing into a regional blaze illustration in Hezbollah's backer Iran and Israel's primary ally the United States.

Geopolitical threat aspects will likely affect the oil market significantly, said Kelvin Wong, a senior market analyst at OANDA in Singapore.

Increased odds of a tit-for-tat retaliation attack by Hezbollah and Iran in response to Israel's pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah websites in Southern Lebanon might keep WTI crude supported.

Both oil criteria got more than 2% on Friday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell endorsed an impending start to rates of interest cuts.

The prospect of alleviating monetary policy enhanced sentiment throughout the product complex, ANZ analysts stated in a note, adding it anticipates the Fed will carry out a progressive series of rate cuts.

Still, oil prices were down last week as a poor outlook for significant economies weighed on fuel need, the bank included.

Oil traders likewise remain careful over the actions of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, or OPEC+, which has strategies to raise output later on this year, stated Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.

The cartel had just recently trimmed its

outlook

for global oil demand, pointing out concerns over weak demand in leading oil importer China, she stated.

Existing robust U.S. need and refilling of SPR reserve look as the only assistance for oil prices versus the risk of excess OPEC supply, she included, referring to the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).

The U.S. Energy Department stated on Friday it bought nearly 2.5 million barrels of oil to help replenish the SPR.

The number of running U.S. oil rigs were the same at 483 recently, Baker Hughes stated in its weekly report.

(source: Reuters)