Global oil prices edged modestly lower in Wednesday afternoon trading, remaining nearly 10% higher than before Israel’s first attack on Iran last week, as investors look for evidence of supply disruption in crude markets as the conflict enters its sixth day.

Financial markets may be in for a "knee-jerk" selloff if the U.S. military attacks Iran, with economists warning that a dramatic rise in oil prices could damage a global economy already strained by President Donald Trump's tariffs.