Oil prices edged higher after reports said the White House asked the Pentagon to draw up strike plans targeting Iran, possibly for implementation before the midterm elections, while a storm disrupted some U.S. crude production. According to Sina Finance, WTI rose toward $89 a barrel and Brent settled near $100 a barrel.

The Atlantic cited two government officials in the report, which ran counter to expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump would avoid escalating the conflict with Iran before the November midterm elections. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management showed Gulf of Mexico producers had shut in more than 510,000 barrels per day of crude output to prepare for Tropical Storm Isaias, equal to about one-quarter of the region's production.

At 6:01 a.m. Singapore time, the November WTI contract rose 0.8% to $88.96 a barrel, while the December Brent contract fell 0.4% on Wednesday to settle at $100.20 a barrel.