Fuel protests escalate in Ireland as Iran War drives prices higher

The demonstrations have been primarily instigated by farmers, agricultural contractors and road haulage operators, who are upset with the government’s response to the spike in fuel prices since the onset of the Iran war.

However, recognized industry bodies, including the Irish Farmers’ Association and the Irish Road Haulage Association, are not involved.

Countries around the world are grappling with higher fuel prices as a result of the Middle East conflict. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday he was “fed up” seeing energy bills in the U.K. fluctuate because of actions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Oil prices were off their highs on Friday as shipping flows around the Strait of Hormuz remained severely restricted.

The standoff in Ireland has seen petrol pumps in forecourts across the country run dry, with demonstrators claiming they will remain in place until they secure a meeting with the government to air their grievances over what they claim is a lack of support from authorities.

The government has asked the country’s army to be on standby to remove blockades at terminals and refineries. Taoiseach  — Irish for leader — Micheál Martin has described the protests as an “act of national sabotage,” adding that he can’t comprehend the logic of blocking access to fuel in the midst of a surge in prices.

The Irish government announced in March a 250-million-euro ($293 million) package of measures to help households and businesses tackle the spike in prices, including a cut in excise duty on both diesel and petrol.

“We will navigate this period of volatility. But, to put it bluntly, nobody knows what the situation will be in a month from now; we must remain flexible in our response,” Ireland’s Finance Minister Simon Harris, said at the time.

Government officials are due to meet with industry bodies on Friday to discuss the crisis, but Defense Minister Helen McEntee has confirmed that those protesting have not been given an invitation.  

In a bid to cope with the fallout of the energy shock, governments around the world have been quick to impose measures from fuel export bans to loosening refining standards. The U.K. government last month introduced rules requiring developers to install heat pumps and solar panels in all new homes across England, while Greece has capped profit margins on fuel and supermarket products for three months.