Crude oil prices have surged past 100 US dollars per barrel as a blockade of the disrupts global energy flows. Conflict between the USA and Iran has slashed Saudi Arabian liquid gas supplies, with natural gas hitting 80 euros per megawatt hour.
Energy expert Alfred Schuch reports that 20 percent of the global liquefied natural gas supply is missing. While Austrian storage levels are lower than in 2025, expert Walter Boltz does not expect a material supply shortage for Austria in the winter of 2026.
The Houthi militia now occupies strategic points at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, affecting 15 percent of global trade. With two million barrels of oil missing daily from the Middle East, Boltz warns that diesel prices could potentially reach 2.50 euros per liter.