European energy companies began the week with significant gains as persistent unrest in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher.

The de facto truce between the U.S. and Iran shows signs of fraying after the U.S. seized an Iranian vessel and Iran threatened retaliatory measures, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to face disruptions.

Brent crude rose 6.0 percent to 95.82 dollars per barrel, while WTI increased 6.5 percent to 87.97 dollars.

Among the top performers, BP, Shell, TotalEnergies, and Eni are advancing by approximately 3 percent, a trend mirrored by Norwegian firms Equinor, Vår Energi, and Aker BP. On the Swedish stock exchange, IPC is also trading higher.

The broad European oil and gas index is the strongest performing sector so far today. Year-to-date, the sector has gained 29 percent.