New York, Jan 4 (AFP/APP): World oil prices jumped on Friday after the US killed a top Iranian general, fanning fresh fears of conflict in the crude-rich Middle East, with Tehran warning of “severe” retaliation. While global stock markets were mixed following the US killing of Qasem Soleimani, oil prices jumped more than three percent. In Washington, a Pentagon official said the US would deploy at least 3,000 additional troops to the Middle East as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised “severe revenge” for the death of the military mastermind. The killing of Soleimani represents “a significant spike in geopolitical risks and could lead to a direct confrontation between the US and Iran,” Oxford Economics said in a commentary. “The importance stems less from the potential loss of Iranian oil supplies… and more from the risk that this could spark a broader conflict that draws in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and others,” Cailin Birch, global economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit told AFP. “There is also a significant risk that Iran could launch a targeted attack on US ships in the region, which could disrupt seaborne crude oil flows and cause prices to rise further.” Oil prices saw record gains … Continue reading Oil rises after US killing of top Iranian general fuels war fears