Oil prices are doing that thing again where they make everyone nervous. On Tuesday, Brent crude pushed toward $100 a barrel as Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blunt warning to Iran: keep hitting U.S. ships, and you'll keep losing tankers. Meanwhile, Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia added more fuel to the fire, literally and figuratively.

Wall Street Futures Slip as Oil Prices Climb

The stock market isn't thrilled about any of this. Dow futures fell 44 points, or 0.08%, to 52,788.00, while S&P 500 futures were down 4.50 points, or 0.06%, at 7,676.00. Nasdaq 100 futures slipped 26.50 points, or 0.09%, to 29,512.25 as of around 8:36 p.m. EDT.

In commodities, WTI crude oil rose 1.67% to $94.58 per barrel, while Brent crude advanced 1.58% to $99.47 per barrel. Natural gas futures fell 0.65% to $2.897 per MMBtu. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies, stood at 98.783, down 0.05% at the time of writing.

Asian markets traded higher, with South Korea's KOSPI rising 0.67% to 7,001.43, while Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed 0.06% to 65,306.25.

Rubio Warns Iran Over Attacks on US Ships

The U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian crude-oil tankers on Tuesday after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles. The U.S. warship successfully evaded the attempted attacks, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command.

Rubio didn't mince words. "Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers," he told reporters, as reported by Reuters.

Iran subsequently launched ballistic missiles toward a U.S. base near Al Azraq in Jordan, according to an IRGC statement carried by state media. Jordan said its air defenses intercepted 18 of 20 missiles, with no reported casualties.

Saudi Oil Attacks Add to Supply Fears

The Houthi attacks targeted facilities in Abha, Najran and Jazan, including energy infrastructure linked to Saudi oil giant Aramco. Fires were reported at several sites. Saudi authorities reported fires at the targeted sites and said women and children were among the 73 people injured.

The scale of the casualties indicated that the attacks could rank among the most significant strikes on Saudi Arabia since the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran in February.

So, what does this mean for you? Higher oil prices could translate to higher gas prices and potentially higher costs for goods, which is never fun. And for investors, energy stocks might get a boost, but the broader market could feel the pinch as uncertainty grows. Keep an eye on Brent crude—if it breaks $100, expect more volatility across the board.