Oil prices retreated after the previous session’s gains as December Brent futures fell 0.8% to settle at $97.24 a barrel at 02:41 ET, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined 1% to $89.50. Middle Eastern crude shipments rose to 16.328 million barrels daily in September, their highest level since hostilities began in February, although flows remained about 3.2 million barrels daily below that month’s baseline. Saudi Arabia resumed loading at the Yanbu terminal after repairs to its East-West pipeline system. Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley lifted their fourth-quarter forecasts to averages of $90.22 for Brent and $85.47 for WTI. U.S. diesel prices reached a record $6.53 per gallon as inventories tightened and officials evaluated possible export restrictions. Markets are assessing whether regional supply recovery can continue amid Iranian tensions, diplomatic uncertainty and constrained refined-product availability.