Fears oil prices could surge in US after Iran strikes
Share this @internewscast.com

High oil and petrol prices are a near certainty, experts say. The big question now: how long will the fossil fuels price spike last?

Oil prices are expected to rise by about $US5 ($7.72) a barrel when markets open on Sunday night local time, according to experts.

An oil tanker is loaded at Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia. (Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters/File via CNN)

“We are looking at $US80 oil on the open,” said Andy Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates.

US oil hasn’t closed above $US80 a barrel since January and has largely hovered between $US60 and $US75 a barrel since August 2024.

In many regions, petrol prices have been brought down to under $US3 per gallon (approximately $1.22 per litre) due to the relatively low oil prices, offering significant relief to consumers tired of inflation.

There’s uncertainty about whether a drastic increase in oil prices will persist for an extended period. Oil prices surged by about 10 percent following Israel’s unexpected attack on June 13 but then decreased after US President Donald Trump set a two-week deadline to decide on a potential strike against Iran.

Oil tankers have in the past been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. (AAP)

“It shouldn’t be assumed that just because oil prices rise, they’re going to remain high. They typically don’t,” explained Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at the accounting firm RSM.

The direction oil prices take is likely to depend on whether Iran’s parliament decides to block the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade route that accounts for about 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil.

On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country had “a variety of options” when deciding on how to respond to the US attacks; and a prominent adviser to Iran’s supreme leader has already called for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordow enrichment facility in Iran  after the US strikes.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordow enrichment facility in Iran after the US strikes. (Maxar Technologies)

Bob McNally, president of consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group and former energy adviser to president George W Bush, said that should Iran cut off the world’s oil supply by closing the strait, it would risk more military force from the US and its allies.

Iran could also attack infrastructure in the Persian Gulf that treated and exported oil and gas.

“It’s possible they will decide the only thing that can dissuade President Trump is the fear of an oil price spike,” he said.

“They have to actually create that fear.”

Appearing on Fox News, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on China to prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz, adding that closing it would do more damage to other economies than the US economy. China buys a third of all oil that comes from the Persian Gulf, while the US buys less than 3 per cent.

Man kicked out over $200 sets Queensland hostel fire that kills 15

“I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Strait of Hormuz for their oil,” Rubio said.

Rubio added that closing the strait would hurt other countries’ economies more than the US economy.

Meanwhile, American consumers may soon feel a price shock at the pump.

“It takes five days or so for stations to pass along the prices they see in one day. If oil markets do surge today and then tomorrow, it could start showing up at the pump in a matter of hours,” said Patrick De Haan, vice president of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, a fuel tracking platform.

According to Lipow, should the Strait of Hormuz be affected, the price of oil could rise to $US100 ($154.50) a barrel, which would raise petrol and diesel prices by about US75 cents a gallon (about 29c a litre) from recent levels.

Meanwhile, US trade policies combined with the Israel-Iran conflict “strongly suggest inflation will be moving faster and higher over the next 90 days,” according to Brusuelas. Many mainstream economists argue that the low inflation of the spring represents a calm before the summer storm, when they expect prices to rise because of Trump’s tariffs.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

“‘Lives at Risk’: The Impact of Trump’s Actions on Struggling Clinics”

Fadumo (not her real name), a widowed mother of three, endured a…
'Extraordinary figure' in motorsport killed in Taronga Zoo bike crash

Prominent Motorsport Figure Tragically Dies in Taronga Zoo Bike Accident

A passionate cyclist who lost his life in a collision with a…
The US economy has shrunk in the last quarter, with Donald Trump's trade war blamed.

Trump’s Temporary Tariff Pause Nears Its End, Leading to Uncertainty

The 90-day deadline President Donald Trump set for countries to make trade…

Innovative Solution Unveiled to Address a Major Cause of Death in Australia

Lung cancer is Australia’s fifth most diagnosed cancer, but causes the greatest…

Over 50% of Senior Australians Support Labor’s $3 Million Superannuation Tax Proposal

More than half of older Australians support increasing taxes on high superannuation…
Mortgage holders are widely predicted to get more relief tomorrow, as the RBA makes it's latest interest rate decision.

Expected Savings for Australian Homeowners from a July Interest Rate Reduction

Mortgage holders are widely predicted to get more relief tomorrow, as the…

From Ancestry Insights to Data Monitoring: The Truth About the DNA Testing Industry

There was something about the way three police officers surrounded Michael Usry…
Rows of bottled water.

Tap Water Ban Hits France: Is Australia at Risk Too?

In a small town in France, residents have been prohibited from consuming…

Tour de France: Van der Poel Outpaces Pogacar in Thrilling Hilltop Stage Victory

Alpecin’s Mathieu van der Poel has edged Tadej Pogacar to win the…
Crew abandons ship in Red Sea after 'drone boat' attack

Red Sea Ship Crew Abandons Vessel Following ‘Drone Boat’ Assault

Crew members aboard a Liberian-flagged ship, set ablaze by a series of…
Tammy Hembrow (pictured) is heading for divorce after splitting from her husband of just seven months, Matt Zukowski

Tammy Hembrow Puzzles Fans by Wearing Her Diamond Wedding Ring After Splitting from Husband Matt Zukowski

Tammy Hembrow is heading for divorce after splitting from her husband of…
PM leads charm offensive as Wallabies clash with Fiji

Prime Minister Launches Diplomatic Push Amid Wallabies’ Showdown with Fiji

They are neighbours, friends and in many cases family, but now the…