New Delhi, Sept. 8 -- US stock indices slipped on Tuesday as renewed tensions in the Middle East sent crude oil prices to their highest level since late July, while investors awaited key inflation readings due later this week.

As of 10 a.m. Eastern Time, the S&P 500 fell 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1% and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.3% lower.

At the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 303.8 points, or 0.57%, to 53,110.45. The S&P 500 fell 0.8 points, or 0.01%, to 7,717.81​, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 21.6 points, or 0.08%, to 26,528.571.

Brent crude futures moved above $98 a barrel after Houthi attacks targeted Saudi oil infrastructure. The attacks came as part of efforts to gain control of the Bab...