New Delhi, April 9 -- Amid signs of strain in the US-Iran ceasefire over the Lebanon issue, Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington is likely to escalate its military actions against Iran for two more weeks. Hence, reopening the Strait of Hormuz should be handled by other countries, not the United States.

Oil prices that dipped on Wednesday on optimism over the temporary ceasefire agreement jumped again after Trump's speech

Brent crude, the international standard, was up 3.5% to $98.09 per barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude was 3.6% higher on Thursday at $97.83 a barrel, an AP report noted.

US oil prices have climbed past $100 a barrel since Iran's retaliation stalled deliveries of oil out of the Middle East.

The Strait of Hormuz, a ...