Oil prices surge as Mideast war rages, stocks fall on US jobsBrent North Sea Crude has surged past $90. (Photo: AFP)NEW YORK - Crude prices surged Friday on mounting fears about oil supply disruption amid the Middle East war, while equities retreated on poor US hiring data. Maritime traffic has all but dried up through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies run. The world's biggest economy shed 92,000 jobs last month, down from revised job growth of 126,000 in January, said the Labor Department. But analysts have said higher oil prices complicate that picture.

Source: Bangkok Post March 06, 2026 22:36 UTC