BAGHDAD- Growing tensions in the Middle East pose a challenge to the stability of global crude oil markets, Iraq's oil minister said on Tuesday.

He said that OPEC's ministerial monitoring committee, known as the JMMC, must monitor markets to pave the way for a "new agreement" to be discussed at an upcoming OPEC meeting in Vienna to help stabilise markets and support prices.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and John Davison, editing by Louise Heavens) ((John.Davison@thomsonreuters.com;))