Oil prices rise on escalation in Middle East

LONDON, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Thursday after U.S. strikes on Iran and renewed Israeli threats against Tehran revived concerns about disruptions to Middle East supplies.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 59 cents, or 0.62%, at $96.22 a barrel by 1327 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 rose 78 cents, or 0.86%, to $91.79. Both contracts were heading for their fourth day of gains and hit six-week highs earlier in the session.

Iran's health minister said 18 people were killed and 108 wounded in Tuesday night's U.S. strikes across Iran. The Iranian Red Crescent said four people were killed and 67 wounded at a wedding ceremony near the coast of the Strait of Hormuz.

Three Iranian Army pilots were killed in the U.S. strikes, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.