By Chris Dorrell Oil prices spiked in response to the latest strikes in the Middle East, as fears of a growing conflagration in the region grow. A barrel of Brent Crude was trading 1.68 per cent higher at $88.57 a barrel, down from a peak of around $90 in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. WTI Crude was up by a similar amount at $84.27. Gold also rose slightly to $2,380 an ounce. The yellow metal acts is a safe haven and often rises during times of political and economic uncertainty. Asian equity markets balked, meanwhile, with benchmark indices in Japan and Hong Kong both down sharply. T…