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Oil prices jumped more than 4 percent on Friday after senior Iranian and Iraqi military personnel were killed in a United States air raid near Baghdad Airport, raising concerns that escalating Middle East tensions may disrupt oil supplies.

Brent crude futures were up by nearly $3 at $69.16 per barrel, their highest since September 17, as markets feared Iran could retaliate against the killing of its top militiamen by attacking assets of the US and their allies in the Middle East.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.76, or 2.9 percent, to $62.94 a barrel. Earlier, it touched $63.84 a barrel, its highest since May 1.

"Certainly Iran is going to retaliate in some way - retaliations will come, as they have in the past, in what we call an asymmetrical way. They're not going to confront the US directly but they will perhaps attack Saudi tankers again, maybe Saudi oil refineries again," John Tirman, executive director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for International Studies, told Al Jazeera.

An air raid at the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq early on Friday killed Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

The US confirmed that it was directly responsible for the attack, with the Pentagon announcing in a statement that the "this strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans."

The statement said that the attack had been made on the order of US President Donald Trump, who tweeted a picture of the US flag hours after the news broke.

"The fact is that Iran will come back and hit US assets or the assets of US allies in the region, and they will do so repeatedly over a period of time," Tirman said.

"That's really the big question in my mind - are we entering a period now of escalation between the US and Iran?" he added.

The US has previously blamed Iran for attacking Saudi Aramco's oil refinery in September, which Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for.

"The supply-side risks remain elevated in the Middle East and we could see tensions continue to elevate between the US and Iran-backed militia in Iraq," Edward Moya, analyst at brokerage OANDA, told Reuters via email.

The US attack happened after an Iran-backed militia and other protesters breached the US embassy in Baghdad on New Year's Eve.

The attack at the embassy was in response to a US air attack that killed 25 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), also known as the Hashd al-Shaabi group.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday there were indications Iran or forces it backs may be planning additional attacks following the embassy incident.

Esper warned that the "game has changed" and it was possible the US might have to take pre-emptive action to protect US lives.

Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, killed in an air strike as tensions between US and Iran escalate

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated on Friday after a US air attack killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF.

The Pentagon confirmed the strike, saying it came "at the direction of the president".

Soleimani and al-Muhandis's deaths are a potential turning point in the Middle East and are expected to draw severe retaliation from Iran and the forces it backs in the region against Israel and US interests.

Here are all the latest updates amid the heightened tensions as of Friday, January 3:

Former top Iranian commander: 'We will take vigorous revenge'

"He joined his martyred brothers, but we will take vigorous revenge on America," Mohsen Rezaei, the former commander o Iran's Revolutionary Guards who is now the secretary of a powerful state body, said in a post on Twitter.

Khamenei warns of harsh revenge

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for three days of mourning, saying Major-General Soleimani's killing will double the motivation of the resistance against the United States and Israel.

According to Iranian state TV Khamenei said harsh revenge awaits "criminals" who killed Soleimani.

Top House Democrats: Strikes not authorised by Congress

US Democratic congressional leaders issued statements condemning Donald Trump's ordered strikes that killed Soleimani, saying the president did not obtain congressional approval.

"American leaders' highest priority is to protect American lives and interests. But we cannot put the lives of American servicemembers, diplomats and others further at risk by engaging in provocative and disproportionate actions," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

"Tonight's airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America – and the world – cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return," she added. "The Administration has conducted tonight's strikes in Iraq targeting high-level Iranian military officials and killing Iranian Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani without an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iran. Further, this action was taken without the consultation of the Congress."

She called for a briefing on the situation.

Another top Democrat, Adam Schiff, took to Twitter, saying the "American people don't want a war with Iran".

Soleimani acquired celebrity status at home and abroad as leader of the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guards and for his key role in fighting in Syria and Iraq.

He survived several assassination attempts against him by Western, Israeli and Arab agencies over the past 20 years.

Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei paid tribute to him as a "martyr", and vowed a "vigorous revenge is waiting for the criminals."

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also condemned the killing as an "act of international terrorism."

"The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism."

The incident took place near the base of the US-led coalition forces.

The attack occurred amid tensions with the US after an Iran-backed militia and other protesters breached the United States's Embassy in Baghdad.

The attack at the embassy on New Year's Eve was in response to a deadly US air attack that killed 25 forces of the PMF, also known as the Hashd al-Shaabi group.

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