Oil prices hit $100 a barrel due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East 

Oil prices hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, rose more than 6% on Thursday following several days of increases as the US stepped up military strikes against Iran. Prices spiked after Houthi militia in Yemen attacked oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening a key export route that Saudi Arabia has used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Gas prices have also risen steadily over the past month, with the benchmark UK gas price currently at around 150 per therm, up from around 98p at the end of June. Oil prices had been falling following a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran, dropping back to levels last seen before the US and Israel began military action against Iran on 28 February. However, the ceasefire has failed, and this week US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the people in charge in Iran were "not ready to make a deal." The ongoing conflict risks pushing up inflation for many countries, including the UK and the US, leading to higher prices for consumers.