The price of oil held at two-and-a-half year highs amid fresh concerns that tensions in the Middle East could disrupt oil flows in the region.

Brent crude rose above $104 a barrel late on Wednesday and remained there on Thursday after Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister, said two Iranian warships planned to sail through the Suez canal en route to Syria.

Aside from fresh Israel-Iran tensions, oil traders are also worried about unrest in Bahrain, where riot police killed protestors, and oil-rich Libya.

They fear the kind of disturbances that toppled the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia could spread to other oil-producing Middle East nations.

“Troubles in the Middle East are back on the agenda, protests in Bahrain and Saudi have drummed up political tension,” said Rob Montefusco, an oil trader at Sucden Financial.

Ken Hasegawa, a commodity derivatives manager at Japan’s Newedge brokerage, said oil could easily hits $105 today, depending on the economic data out of the United States later.