ASX 200 live: Santos' Abu Dhabi bidder spruiks Aus focus; Oil lifts as Trump weighs Middle East action

First comments by Santos' $30bn bidder come as target's shareholder backs takeover. Oil lifts as Trump weighs Middle East action. MinRes leads iron ore falls.

US President Donald Trump, right, has backed Israel leader Benjamin Netanyahu's recent strikes in Iran, which has opened up a third Middle East from amid ongoing attacks by Russia in Ukraine and Israel's strikes in Gaza. Pictures: Jim Watson and Ryan M Kelly/AFP

Welcome to the Trading Day blog for Wednesday, June 18. The ASX 200 index is up about 3 points to 8544.10 points at 2.20pm AEST as tech and energy gains are offset by mining falls.

All three key US indexes closed in the red, with the S&P 500 shedding 0.8 per cent, the Dow Jones falling 0.7 per cent and the technology-focused Nasdaq shedding 0.9 per cent.

Fears about an oil supply crisis linked to Iran's conflict with Israel have kept prices on the boil - the global benchmark Brent crude is near $US76 per barrel and the US WTI is at $US73 per barrel.

Cryptocurrency giant bitcoin is above $US104,900.

The Aussie dollar is trading around US64.86c.

Originally published as ASX 200 live: Santos' Abu Dhabi bidder spruiks Aus focus; Oil lifts as Trump weighs Middle East action