Petrol hits highest price since start of Iran war

The average price of unleaded petrol has risen to 158.52p a litre, its highest level since the start of the Iran war, according to the RAC. Petrol and diesel prices surged when the conflict began on 28 February, with the production and transportation of energy across the Middle East slowing or stopping entirely due to missile strikes and drone attacks. The price of petrol last peaked at 158.31p on 15 April, falling by more than a penny until the start of May when it began rising again, the RAC said. The motoring organisation also said unleaded was likely to increase to at least 160p a litre in the coming weeks unless there was a "dramatic and sustained drop" in the price of oil. Brent crude - the global benchmark for wholesale oil prices - is currently trading at about $111 a barrel. Before the conflict, Brent was trading at about $73 a barrel. That in turn has pushed up prices at the pump. The price of unleaded petrol was 132.83p a litre on average at the start of the conflict. The average price of diesel was 142.38p a litre. It is now 185.92p a litre. "The news that petrol has climbed to a new wartime high comes in a week when the chancellor is thought to be on the point of scrap