Tankers report being fired upon as Tehran closes Strait of Hormuz again Politics Merchant vessels have said they were hit by gunfire as they attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz, the first indication that Iran’s re-closure of the waterway has been enforced. Iran’s military reimposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz again after accusing the US of violating the deal to reopen it, throwing the world’s energy [...]
Ceasefire hangs in balance after Iran shuts Hormuz Markets Hopes of an extended deescalation in the Middle East remain hanging by a thread, after Iran shut the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane in response to a round of Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Oil tankers have been barred from passing through the narrow stretch of water responsible for carrying over a fifth of seaborne [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks dip ahead of Trump’s Iran deadline Markets Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The London market is set to return from the bank holiday break with a major hangover. Whilst the City enjoyed an Easter break, volatile trading continued with Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – hovering around the $110 mark after see-sawing between gains [...]
Oil soars as Trump vows to hit Iran ‘extremely hard’ April 2, 2026 The price of oil has spiked by over 7 per cent following Donald Trump’s vow to keep hitting Iran ‘extremely hard’ over the next few weeks, in an address to the nation. After a 17-minute speech on Wednesday evening, which failed to reassure global markets, Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped 5 per cent [...]
Ministers must ‘trade more’ in face of Iran war March 25, 2026 The government must keep the option of an energy bailout for businesses on the table if oil prices continue to spike, the British Chambers of Commerce boss will say in a speech urging ministers to “trade more, not less” in the face of the Iran war. Shevaun Haviland will warn of the “profound” impact that [...]
Government borrowing costs set for worst month since Liz Truss March 23, 2026 The government’s short-term borrowing costs were on course to have their worst month since Liz Truss’s ignominious mini-Budget, until the news of United States’ talks with Iran led traders to unwind bets future interest rate hikes. The two-year gilt yield jumped by eight basis points on Monday morning, meaning the interest rate on the government’s [...]
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin hits back at Miliband ‘warm beer’ advice March 20, 2026 The boss of the UK’s best-known pub chain has hit back at Ed Miliband after he issued guidance which sparked concerns that pubs will have to serve warmer beer to keep energy bills down. Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon, told City AM pubs will be swiftly overtaken by supermarkets if they opt to cut [...]
‘Panic mode’: FTSE 100 sinks as oil spikes on Iran’s energy threats March 18, 2026 Markets were thrown into “panic mode” on Wednesday as the surging price of oil rattled global equities. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – spiked as much as five per cent to $110 per barrel as energy facilities across the Gulf faced evacuation following the latest threats from Iran. The [...]
Shepherd Neame braces for energy price shock as Iran war drives up costs March 18, 2026 Shepherd Neame has become the latest pub company to express concern over the spectre of rising energy costs after the war in Iran sent the price of oil soaring. The Kent-based brewer, pub and hotel group, which is listed on the Aquis stock exchange, said its energy was “heavily hedged” into the next financial year [...]
Ramsdens shares rocket as pawnbroker cashes in on gold boom March 18, 2026 Shares in pawnbroker Ramsdens rocketed as it looked poised to take advantage of gold prices, inflated by the Iran war, by taking as much as £28m this year. The firm’s share price soared by more than ten per cent on Wednesday, to 404p, leaving it up more than four per cent in the year so [...]