GASOLINE COSTS

The global oil benchmark, Brent crude, climbed 4 % to about $109 a barrel for July delivery. Before the conflict in Iran, this grade traded near $72 a barrel. U. S. West Texas Intermediate also jumped more than 4 % to just above $104 a barrel for June delivery. Investors watch the Strait of Ho

The market stayed calm on Wednesday, even though hostilities between Iran and Israel—along with strikes against U. S. allies—continued to flare. Traders around the globe kept a close eye on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel that links the world’s top oil producers to buyers. This passage carrie