Iran War Updates Include Energy Price Changes and Lebanon Strikes

TotalEnergies announced it will extend its fuel price cap at French service stations through June. The cap remains at €1.99 per litre for petrol and €2.25 per litre for diesel. The extension follows the energy crisis linked to the conflict involving Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure welcomed the move but did not rule out new taxes on energy company profits.

The UK energy regulator Ofgem said it will raise the household energy price cap by 13 percent from early July to late September. The new annual cap stands at 1,862 pounds, an increase of 221 pounds from the previous level. Ofgem CEO Tim Jarvis stated that continued volatility in global energy markets is driving higher wholesale gas prices.

Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon killed at least 31 people and wounded 40 in the past day. The military issued dozens of forced displacement orders for towns and villages. Israeli officials said one air strike killed a Hezbollah fighter who was retrieving a drone near Israeli positions. Another strike in Deir Aames killed two people and injured one.

An Iranian delegation returned to Tehran after talks in Qatar aimed at ending the nearly three-month war. Iranian officials accused the United States of violating the ceasefire with strikes on southern Iran on Monday. A senior Iranian politician stated that distrust toward the United States remains the fundamental principle in ongoing discussions.