White House officials are bracing for oil prices to surge past the $150-a-barrel mark as the Iran war stretches into its second month and the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, according to a new report.

In recent weeks, the average cost of a barrel of crude has hovered around $100, a figure that the Trump administration now sees as the new “baseline,” though a potential spike to $200 hasn’t been ruled out, a source familiar with the matter told Politico.

As a result, officials have entered “all hands on deck” mode, urgently evaluating options to tame soaring oil prices — which pushed gas above $4 a gallon this week and risks inflating costs across the broader economy.

  • Ashenlux@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    2 days ago

    My theory, it’s not the government that has the oil, it’s the oil companies. And because this is capitalism, the oil companies will charge as much as the can. So even if it is made here, the drastically reduced supply globally means the companies can change more, and so they will.

    • 8oow3291d@feddit.dk
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      2 days ago

      My theory, it’s not the government that has the oil

      That is not a theory, that is just a fact.

      In theory the government could and should impose price controls, for the common good. But Trump and Republicans are obviously not going to tell the oil oligarks that they can’t have lots of money.

      • Ashenlux@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 days ago

        Yeah, fair enough. I am just not very informed on the oil industry, so I didn’t want to sound like I did in case I was talking out my ass. Good to know I was correct in my assumption.

        • 8oow3291d@feddit.dk
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          2 days ago

          I am just not very informed on the oil industry, so I didn’t want to sound like I did in case I was talking out my ass.

          No no, I am not criticizing. I am all for using the correct level of qualifiers when speculating about things you know you don’t know with certainty.

          If only the people talking out of their ass about the current conflict in the middle east would do the same…

      • IronBird@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        who do you think gave this admin their orders to kick the ME hornetnest? oil barons are making a killing right now