Oil prices jump more than 3% after Iran supreme leader says uranium must remain in country

Key points

• Oil prices jumped Thursday on a report that Iran's supreme leader will not allow the country's enriched uranium to be shipped abroad, a position that will likely complicate peace talks with the U.S. U.S. crude oil rose nearly 4% to $101.96 per barrel by 9:15 a.m. ET.
• International benchmark Brent crude advanced about 3% to $108.34. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered Iran's enriched uranium to remain in the Islamic Republic, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters.
• President Donald Trump has said dismantling Iran's nuclear program is a central objective of the U.S. war.
• Trump said earlier this week that he called off imminent airstrikes on Iran to give diplomacy more time at the request of U.S. Gulf Arab allies.
• Iran and the U.S. have made little progress toward a deal since they agreed to fragile ceasefire last month.