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Oil Prices Are Spiking — Here's What It Means for Your Gas Tank and Grocery Bill

  Published July 17, 2026 Crude oil is trading near one-month highs this week, and if you've filled up your tank recently, you've probably already felt it. The culprit: an escalating conflict in the Middle East that's disrupting one of the world's most important oil shipping routes — and it's starting to show up at Canadian pumps and, eventually, on grocery store shelves. What's happening with oil prices West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the North American benchmark, has been trading around the $79–$80 per barrel range this week — up roughly 5% over the past month. Brent crude, the global benchmark that matters more for what Canadians pay at the pump, has been hovering near $85 per barrel, also near a one-month high. The spike traces back to renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and has intensified strikes, while Iran has responded with attacks on U.S. bases and threats to disrupt regional energy shipments further. ...

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US Military Strikes Houthi Radar Sites in Yemen Following Merchant Sailor’s Disappearance

 

In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, the United States military has launched a series of attacks targeting radar sites operated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. These strikes come in response to the rebels’ assaults on shipping in the crucial Red Sea corridor. The situation intensified after a merchant sailor went missing following an earlier Houthi strike on a ship.

The U.S. Navy, facing its most intense combat since World War II, aims to counter the Houthi campaign. However, the rebel assaults often endanger ships and sailors unrelated to the conflict, further disrupting cargo and energy shipments between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Central Command reported that seven radars within Houthi-controlled territory were destroyed, preventing the rebels from targeting maritime vessels. Additionally, the U.S. military neutralized two bomb-laden drone boats and a Houthi-launched drone over the Red Sea.

The missing merchant sailor was aboard the Liberian-flagged bulk cargo carrier “Tutor,” which suffered a Houthi attack using a bomb-carrying drone boat. The crew was rescued, but the vessel remains in the Red Sea, slowly taking on water.

As the conflict continues, tensions remain high in the region, impacting global trade and security.

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