Crude prices surged above 66 dollars a barrel Thursday as Iran suspended to release British naval personnel while the United States is conducting naval exercises in the Gulf region.

Light, sweet crude rose 1.95 dollars, or 3 percent, to 66.03 dollars a barrel, the highest closing since Sept. 8.

London Brent settled up 2.10 dollars at 67.88 dollars a barrel.

Concerns over Iranian tensions have kept crude prices rising since Friday as Iran detained 15 British soldiers and the UN Security Council imposed new sanction on Iran.

Iran suspended to release British soldiers detained on Wednesday, accusing them of straying into Iranian waters.

Meanwhile, the United States kicked off a military training operation in the Persian Gulf involving two aircraft carrier fight groups on Tuesday, the largest show of U.S. force in the Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.