SEOUL (Apr 27): U.S. crude held above $57.15 a barrel on Monday, close to a 2015 high as fights in Yemen intensified and U.S.-led air strikes targeted Islamic State militants in Syria, creating more tensions over the security of Middle East oil supplies.

FUNDAMENTALS

* U.S. crude edged up 1 cent at $57.16 a barrel as of 0000 GMT after it closed down 59 cents at $57.15 a barrel on Friday, retreating from Thursday's 2015 high of $58.41.

* Brent gained 7 cents at $65.35 a barrel. It previously settled up 43 cents at $65.28 a barrel after hitting a Dec. 10 high of $65.80.

* Fighting has escalated across Yemen on Sunday in some of the most widespread combat since a Saudi-led alliance intervened last month against Iranian-allied Houthi militia who have seized large tracts of the country.

* Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyadh Yaseen on Sunday rejected a call for peace talks issued by former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and said a Saudi-led military campaign against Iran-allied Houthi fighters opposed to his government had not ended.

* In Syria, U.S.-led forces targeted Islamic State militants with seven air strikes from Friday to Saturday morning and conducted 16 strikes against the group in Iraq, the U.S. military said.