New york: Oil prices held steady on Thursday after Brent crude surpassed the $100 per barrel mark, as traders worried about further supply disruptions following the exchange of the largest attacks on shipping by Iran and the United States since the conflict began six months ago. Brent crude futures rose 0.1 percent to $101.34 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 0.5 percent to $96.55 a barrel.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration raised its oil price forecasts for this year and next on Wednesday, citing declining global inventories due to supply shortages in the Middle East.