Inflation has been too high for too long, and the Federal Reserve should not count on it fading without further action. - That is the argument from the three Fed officials who dissented from the decision led by chairman Kevin Warsh to leave interest rates unchanged this week, preferring instead to raise them. Why it matters: Together, the dissents lay out a blueprint for the Fed's hawkish wing, arguing that repeated supply shocks paired with resilient demand have made inflation too persistent to fade on its own without tighter monetary policy. - The question in the months ahead is whether that argument persuades more policymakers, especially if inflation remains stubborn. - It is worth watching whether they turn out to have momentum…
Developing Asian nations, scarred by Middle East supply shocks, are working to scale back their reliance on imported fuels, including liquefied natural gas.
As rising fuel costs clobber their economies, the Philippines and other developing countries in Asia are pushing to build strategic petroleum reserves to cushion against future shocks.
The new round of bombing in the Middle East has underscored the precarity of relying on fossil fuels. The war is speeding up the global transition to EVs, solar, and batteries, experts say.
The double blockades on the Strait of Hormuz produced the world's largest disruption in energy supplies, yet the situation never produced the global energy crisis that some predicted. There are several reasons, including U.S. stockpiles proving more robust than expected. As for now, those supplies have been severely depleted.
State of the Union: The country sources around 90 percent of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz. The post Amid Iran War-Inflated Prices, Japan Raises Interest Rates to 31-Year High appeared first on The American Conservative .
The Bank of Japan announced Tuesday it would raise rates to a 31-year high—from 0.75 percent to one percent—in anticipation of continued inflation caused by the Iran War. In 2024, the Bank of Japan pivoted from decades of near or below zero interest rates amidst supply shocks. It last raised rates in December of 2025 but had held them steady since. However, the energy supply shock caused by the Iran War has created significant price pressures in the country. Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida welcomed the framework peace deal announced this week between the U.S. and Iran, but economic analysts expect lingering pressures from the war to persist throughout the year. Japan sources about 90 percent of its crude oil imports through the…Open
Facing sky-high fuel costs linked to the war in Iran, airlines are cutting routes and raising prices. European vacations are looking a lot less affordable.
Markup caps and export restrictions on fuel went into effect in Romania on April 1, as the country faces a growing energy crisis stemming in part from the ongoing U.S. military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the disruption of oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz. The post This NATO Member Just Instituted Emergency Measures to Curb Iran War Fuel Crisis. appeared first on The National Pulse .
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Markup caps and export restrictions on fuel went into effect in Romania on April 1, as the country faces a growing energy crisis stemming in part from the ongoing U.S. military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the disruption of oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz. WHO WAS INVOLVED: Romania, the wider European Union, Australia, the United States, and Iran. WHEN & WHERE: The emergency measures went into effect on April 1, 2026 . IMPACT: Since the start of the U.S. conflict with Iran, the cost of gasoline in Romania has risen by 17.6 percent, while diesel has jumped 25.2 percent. IN FULL Markup caps and export restrictions on fuel went into effect in Romania on April 1, as the…Open