A patchwork of rebel forces has seized control of a broad stretch of western and northwestern Syria. It’s unclear how much support weakened allies can provide.

The sanctions build on those previously imposed on Oct. 11 and come in response to Iran's Oct. 1 attack on Israel and to its announced nuclear escalations, the U.S. Department of Treasury said in a statement.

Brent crude, the global benchmark rose as much as 2.8 per cent to $73.86 a barrel on Tuesday, while WTI, its US counterpart, rose as much as 3.1 per cent to $70.23 a barrel. The sanctions are similar to those previously imposed two months ago in response to Iran’s missile attack on military sites in Israel,