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Oil prices edged down on Friday morning as investors weighed Middle East risks and possible US steps to ease restrictions \u200bon the world\u2019s \u201cshadow fleet\u201d of tankers.<\/strong><\/p>\n Brent crude futures fell 41 cents, or \u200c0.39%, to $105.51 a barrel by 0012 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 were down 54 cents, or 0.55%, to $97.43.<\/p>\n WTI settled up more than 3% on Thursday after a \u200blarge US crude stock draw helped support prices, while Brent crude was little \u200bchanged.<\/p>\n The International Energy Agency agreed on Thursday to release over 20 million \u2060barrels of diesel to the market and any oil remaining from a record \u200brelease of emergency reserves pledged in March to boost supply and cool soaring prices.<\/p>\n During the \u200bprevious trading session, oil prices rose overnight in a sign that \u201cinvestors were dissatisfied with these measures,\u201d Haitong Futures in a note on Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would really cool the oil market is an easing \u200bof tensions in the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n The Trump administration is considering lifting sanctions on some \u200bso-called shadow fleet vessels that have transported oil and petroleum products from countries including Russia, Iran \u200cand \u2060Venezuela, in an effort to reduce record-high global freight rates, a US official said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The discussions come days after President Donald Trump temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel fuel, a move met with a torrent of criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr \u200bZelenskiy, European countries \u200band some of \u2060Trump\u2019s fellow Republicans in the US Senate.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen\u2019s Houthis and renewed attacks on ships in \u200bthe region supported prices.<\/p>\n Attacks around the waterway have surged over \u200bthe past \u206010 days, with Iran saying it was stepping up strikes in response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions introduced last month.<\/p>\n The Houthis fired missiles at the \u2060presidential \u200bpalace complex in the southern city of Aden \u200bon Thursday, killing two guards, while the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen detailed dozens of attacks on Saudi infrastructure \u200bin the escalating conflict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n