New York crude oil futures rose for an eighth consecutive session on the 10th, with the October West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contract settling at $102.48 a barrel, up $6.43. The settlement was the first above $102 in roughly four months, while prices reached the $104 range intraday. Intensifying clashes between the United States and Iran, attacks on oil tankers and the reported seizure of a Red Sea port city by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militant group heightened concerns about prolonged supply and shipping disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The oil surge strengthened expectations of renewed U.S. inflation through gasoline and logistics costs, pushing the 10-year Treasury yield as high as 4.96% and weighing on major stock indexes. Gold futures posted a modest 0.09% gain as higher crude prices supported inflation-hedge demand, while possible Federal Reserve rate hikes and upcoming U.S. inflation data limited the advance. Markets are now focused on inflation data and Federal Reserve decisions, with further Middle East escalation posing risks of higher crude prices and broader financial-market volatility.