European equities edged lower on Wednesday as Brent crude traded close to $100 a barrel, reviving inflation concerns and reducing appetite for risk. The pan-European STOXX 600 was down 0.4% at 646.84 points by 0810 GMT, while Germany’s DAX fell 0.5%, London’s FTSE 100 declined 0.2% and France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.6%. Energy shares gained nearly 1%. Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen struck several Saudi cities, raising concerns about deeper disruptions to regional oil supplies, energy infrastructure and shipping lanes. Higher oil prices reinforced expectations that central banks may keep monetary policy tighter for longer. Traders widely expected the European Central Bank to raise rates on Thursday, with U.S. inflation data due later in the week. Auto1 Group fell 4.6% after Christian Wallentin stepped down as chief financial officer. Earlier coverage had described the episode as escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and Brent as having reached $100, while the latest update characterized the oil price as close to that level.