A top Brussels official has said the EU is considering “all possibilities” if Middle East crisis drags on – amid concerns about the long lasting impact of the war
Fears have grown that UK households and businesses could be impacted after an EU official said it was considering “all possibilities” – including fuel rationing – with no end to the Middle East crisis.
Dan Jorgensen, the bloc’s energy commissioner, said: “This will be a long crisis…energy prices will be higher for a very long time.” He added that “we expect it to be even worse in the weeks to come”.
The US and Israel’s war with Iran has sent wholesale oil and gas prices soaring as Tehran’s effective blockade of the key Strait of Hormuz – and strikes on Gulf neighbours – sent shockwaves around the world.
Supplies of oil and gas to the EU, and the UK, have largely been unaffected as most imports come from countries beyond the Middle East.
Of more concern is the supply of refined petroleum products, such as jet fuel and diesel. The impact on countries that do rely heavily on energy supplies from the region – including India and China – has added to concerns and left governments having to draw up plans that could be used in an emergency.
Jorgensen said, while the EU was “not in a security of supply crisis, yet”, it was putting together plans to tackle “structural, long term effects” of the conflict.
He told the FT: “We are looking at all possibilities”, and went on to say the EU was “preparing for the worst scenarios”, including rationing jet fuel and diesel and releasing further oil reserves.
Although the UK is no longer in the EU, his warning could have possible knock-on-effects from the many industries that rely heavily on fuel.
Existing plans that could be enacted in the UK allow for lower speed limits and petrol rationing to be imposed to cope with any fuel shortage. The measures would also potentially see fuel prioritised for the emergency services as measures that could prevent help supplies running out.
Among the areas of most concern is jet fuel, with some airlines already warning about future supplies and at least one carrier upping prices.
Ryanair may need to cancel 10% of its flights this summer, its boss has warned, if the Iran war continued to impact jet fuel prices. Michael O’Leary told ITV News on Thursday: “We’re all facing an unknown scenario. And we are certainly looking at maybe having to cancel 5%, 10% of flights through May, June and July.”
Airline Aurigny, which links Guernsey with the UK, last month introduced a temporary £2 fuel surcharge on new bookings. The last known shipment of jet fuel from the Middle East to the UK reportedly arrived this week.
The UK government has been keen to stress there is no reason for alarm. Last year, around 90% of crude oil refined in the UK – which is used to produce petrol – was imported, with around 1% of this imported from the Middle East, with most coming from the US and Norway.
Around 7% of diesel is imported from the Middle East. UK refinery production of petrol, from crude oil, exceeded demand in 2025, according to official data.
Trade body Airlines UK said on March 31: “UK airlines are currently not seeing disruption to jet fuel supply and continue to engage with fuel suppliers and Government to monitor the situation.”
