Oil advanced for a third consecutive day as intensifying Middle East tensions threatened to disrupt the region’s recovering energy flows. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), a U.S. crude benchmark, rose above $93 a barrel after gaining almost 3% in the previous session, while Brent settled around $102 on Thursday. A U.S. official said the Pentagon may send another aircraft carrier and 10,000 sailors and Marines to the Persian Gulf, providing President Donald Trump with more options if he chooses to expand attacks on Iran. The escalation came as Wall Street analysts said regional oil flows were nearing pre-war levels, although fuel supplies remained further behind. Iran appeared to have loaded no crude oil onto tankers in September, suggesting the U.S. naval blockade is restricting the Islamic Republic’s access to energy markets. Brent is still 70% higher this year as the US-Iran war enters its eighth month, with limited progress toward a diplomatic resolution.