Brent crude was up $3.24, or 3.8%, to $87.85 a barrel by 11 a.m. ET (1500 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $86.19 a barrel, up $3.40 or about 4.1%. Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. Analysts suggested the implications of the conflict could include a potential slowdown in Iranian exports, which have grown significantly this year, despite U.S. sanctions. Any production and export disruption would exacerbate supply tightness as most analysts expect markets to be in a deficit in the second half of the year.

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Persons: recouping, Brent, WTI, Tudor Pickering, Matt Portillo, Agustin Marcarian, Saxo Bank's Ole Hansen, Caroline Bain, Arathy Somasekhar, Natalie Grover, Andrew Hayley, Emily Chow, Kirsten Donovan, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, West Texas, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Saturday, REUTERS, Israel, White, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Israel, HOUSTON, Palestinian, Holt, Gaza, Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Riyadh, Moscow, Russia, U.S, Iran, Houston, London, Beijing, Singapore