Mideast stocks-Gulf markets ease as U.S.-Iran tensions, Hormuz disruption weigh

Saudi Arabia's benchmark index .TASI was down 0.1%, with Saudi Arabian Mining Co 1211.SE losing 0.9%.

Elsewhere, oil major Saudi Aramco 2222.SE lost 0.2%.

Brent futures LCOc1 slipped $1.22, or 1.4%, to $87.82 a barrel by 0750 GMT. O/R

The kingdom's crude exports from the Red Sea are becoming increasingly difficult to track as tankers disable their transponders to reduce the risk of Houthi attacks, with analysts saying all recent loadings from Yanbu have been carried out "dark."

Dubai's main share index .DFMGI eased 0.1%, hit by a 1.1% fall in utility firm Dubai Electricity and Water Authority DEWAA.DU.

In Abu Dhabi, the index .FTFADGI added 0.2%.

The Qatari index .QSI fell 0.4%, weighed down by a 3.5% slide in petrochemical maker Industries Qatar IQCD.QA.

Gulf stock markets were subdued in early Thursday trade as investors weighed stalled efforts to end the U.S.-Iran conflict, continued disruptions to shipping through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz and a softening outlook for oil demand.

Iran and the United States remain at odds over a permanent settlement, with a senior Iranian source saying there had been no progress on reviving the interim agreement reached in June or setting a timetable for its implementation.

Hopes for a breakthrough were further dampened after President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Iran's leadership, while fresh attacks on shipping on Tuesday underscored the risks facing regional trade.

A surprise rise in U.S. crude inventories, coupled with lower consumption forecasts from OPEC and the International Energy Agency, added to pressure on the energy outlook.