Oil prices rose over $1 on Friday as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepared to visit the Middle East in an attempt to contain flaring regional tensions as the Israel-Hamas conflict rages. Brent crude futures were up $1.34, or 1.7%, at $78.93 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $1.62, or 2.2%, to $72.81 by 1407 GMT.
