Renewed air strikes in the US-Iran war are threatening the fragile recovery in oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Before the war started in February, roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day moved through the strait, equivalent to about one-fifth of global consumption. Flows fell to around five million barrels a day in March but recovered to about 15–16 million last week. However, the price of the benchmark Brent crude oil climbed back above $90 a barrel on Monday after the US struck Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island and Tehran retaliated against US bases in Jordan. The market remains far below the heights of the spring, when oil prices surged to over $100, triggering a broader European energy shock. For Polish motorists, the renewed rise comes as a government fuel-relief scheme expires on August 31. From September 1, VAT on gasoline and diesel returns from 8% to 23%, while the temporary nationwide maximum retail price cap also ends.