Oil prices rise as traders await US-Iran talks at UN General Assembly

Oil prices rose on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, after four sessions of losses, as investors awaited potential US-Iran talks at the United Nations General Assembly. Brent crude gained 1.1% to $101.48 a barrel, while WTI rose 0.9% to $96.65. The increase was seen as short-covering rather than a fundamental shift. Middle East tensions remained high after Houthi attacks on Saudi targets, but Saudi Aramco increased exports through the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, Libya's Sharara oilfield production fell by 200,000 barrels per day after an armed group closed a pipeline valve.