New Delhi, Sept. 9 -- Brent crude crossed $100 a barrel for the first time in six weeks as the escalating war in West Asia raised the prospect of tighter supplies, threatening to widen India's oil import bill and add to inflationary and fiscal pressures.

Brent rose as much as 2.8% to $100.70 a barrel on Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate climbed 2.92% to $95.75. Brent had last crossed the $100 mark on July 24.

The surge comes as the conflict between the US and Iran escalates. The US military said Wednesday that it had destroyed five Iranian tankers, while Iran responded with attacks on US ships and a US military base in Jordan. A spokesperson for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that a restricted area extending from C...