Oil inches higher, stays near six-month highs on Saudi attacks

NEW YORK — Oil prices inched higher after falling more than $2 a barrel on Monday, as persistent attacks on key producer Saudi Arabia kept investors wary and prices near six-month highs, even as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in the Middle East resumed. Brent crude futures rose 49 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $117.21 at 12:51 p.m. ET (1637 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 35 cents, or 0.34 percent, at $102.92 per barrel. Both benchmarks retreated after strong gains on Friday, when Brent settled more than $3 higher to post a weekly gain of 6 percent, while WTI rose 2.3 percent for the week. Investor focus remained on escalating tensions in the Middle East after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they struck pumping stations on Saudi Arabia's East-West crude oil pipeline and Riyadh airport over the weekend. Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it had intercepted additional missiles and drones, while a Saudi-led coalition on Monday said it destroyed three drones targeting Riyadh and the kingdom's southern regions. In a move that could draw Egypt more directly