Oil prices jumped to their highest in weeks on Thursday as a mix of Middle East attacks and a US hurricane squeezed supply. Here is what drove the surge.

First, Houthi rebels escalated attacks in Saudi Arabia, striking near airports in Abha and Riyadh over two days and killing at least three people, according to reports. A tanker was also struck by projectiles off Qatar, and a record 10 tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz between September 28 and October 4, according to Kpler data.

Second, The Atlantic reported that the White House asked the Pentagon to prepare strike options against Iran before the US midterm elections. That raised fears of wider conflict near the strait, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil.

Third, Hurricane Isaias forced Shell, Chevron and others to shut about 25 per cent of Gulf of Mexico production, or 511,619 barrels a day.

Brent futures rose 5.2 per cent to $105.43 a barrel, the highest since September 16. Prices later eased after Trump said the US would not attack Iran before the elections.