Brent crude oil prices have surged over 42% since the onset of the Middle East conflict, with an 11% increase recorded in the past week alone, reaching $103.14.

The Government currently perceives the rise in fuel prices as a significant but potentially temporary issue, despite immediate impacts on consumers. An editorial by Marta Moitinho Oliveira discusses the rush of drivers to petrol stations in anticipation of price hikes due to geopolitical tensions, particularly American attacks in Iran. While the government has implemented a discount to mitigate the increase in diesel prices, consumers will still face higher costs for petrol. The situation has led to record high fuel prices in Portugal, raising concerns among the public.

According to ACP data for the coming week, petrol (gasoline) will rise by one cent per litre while standard diesel remains unchanged at €1.586/litre from Monday. The small petrol increase and the stable diesel price suggest only a marginal immediate impact on motorists’ budgets, though the divergence points to short-term differences in market pressures (refining margins, crude-oil movements and distribution costs) affecting petrol and diesel independently.