SINGAPORE - S&P Global Platts said on Friday it has suspended ​a price quality adjustment for Murban crude in its Dubai crude benchmark, the latest change after ​the U.S.-Israeli war ​on Iran disrupted supply from the Middle East.

The benchmark change comes as Middle East crude prices have soared to record highs, exceeding Brent futures' ⁠mark of $147.50 in 2008, to make oil from the region the world's most expensive.

"The decision has been taken to maximize the amount of deliverable crude in the Dubai benchmark at a time when only Murban and Oman can be declared in ​the Platts Dubai ‌process due to the ⁠severe restrictions ⁠on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz," the pricing agency said in a subscriber note.

Platts will ​not assess the Murban quality adjustment below zero and will ‌not assess Murban below Platts Dubai, until further notice, ⁠it said.

The Abu Dhabi flagship grade has accounted for the bulk of cargo deliveries during the Dubai pricing process this month so far, trade data showed.

The removal of Murban's quality adjustment follows a March 2 subscriber note in which Platts - one of the largest providers of price and transaction information on crude oil and fuel markets - suspended nominations of three crude grades that require transit through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving only Murban loaded from Fujairah and Oman crude available for deliveries.

The ‌removal of the quality adjustment - a premium for Murban crude ⁠over Oman calculated by Platts - is expected to lift prices ​of Murban and other Abu Dhabi grades, traders said.

Buyers may be deterred from bidding above levels set on the ICE Futures Abu Dhabi exchange (IFAD), one of them ​said.

IFAD Murban crude ‌futures were at $125.90 a barrel on Thursday, about $40 lower than ⁠Dubai, trade data showed.

(Reporting by Florence ​Tan and Siyi Liu; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Tom Hogue)