UK drivers steal almost £200,000 of fuel from petrol stations every day during Iran war
British motorists are stealing an estimated £200,000 worth of fuel from forecourts every day, a surge directly linked to the onset of the Iran oil crisis.
Analysis by fuel theft prevention firm Forecourt Eye reveals a 20 per cent increase in incidents of fuel taken without payment in the five months following the conflict’s commencement on 28 February, compared with the preceding period.
The escalating pump prices, driven by the ongoing war, have seen the value of stolen fuel jump by 48 per cent over the same timeframe, reaching an average daily total of £194,000 across the UK’s 8,359 forecourts.
James Reynolds3 August 2026 09:45
In pictures: Ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday with talks to resume 
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on 3 August (Reuters)
Boats and a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 3 (Reuters)
James Reynolds3 August 2026 09:30
The latest: Iran dismisses talks of restarting negotiations with Trump today
Donald Trump had hoped to rekindle negotiations with Iran on Monday following another breakdown in diplomacy and repeated threats from both sides.
The US president announced on Saturday that talks would resume, but declined to set a deadline for an agreement after earlier saying he had called off a major attack in a bid to give diplomacy another chance.
For its part, Iran did not confirm talks will go ahead. On Monday, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry said there is “no plan to receive a delegation or send an Iranian one” in the coming days.
Esmail Baghaei said plainly that Iran was not holding talks with the US and is, rather, in talks with Oman to work out a temporary safe round through the Strait of Hormuz, with a permanent resolution apparently no closer.
He added that reaching an agreement with Oman is not sufficient to reopen the strait, as the situation will remain unchanged while U.S. “aggression” continues.
Trump had claimed on his Truth Social platform that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked for time to complete a deal that would lead to “the Immediate, Complete and Total” reopening of the strait and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat” but that Tehran must “rapidly make a DEAL.”
As he returned to Washington from a weekend in New Jersey, Trump told reporters on Sunday that a negotiation would begin on Monday afternoon but did not provide details of where it would take place or who would be involved.
Oil prices were down more than 4% in early trading on Monday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held phone calls with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir to discuss diplomatic efforts, Iran’s state media reported on Sunday.
Donald Trump (Reuters)
James Reynolds3 August 2026 09:00
Recap: Trump says canceled Iran attack would have been biggest ‘since World War II’
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the strike on Iran he ultimately called off would have been the largest of its kind in decades.
“It was going to be a massive attack,” the Republican president told reporters aboard Air Force One. “It was going to be an attack that would have been, by far, the biggest attack since World War II.”
His comments followed a Truth Social post on Saturday in which Trump wrote that the U.S. military was “locked and loaded” for what he cast as an unprecedented campaign against Iran.
But, he said, he decided to hold back after appeals from Iran and several Middle Eastern allies, who suggested a deal was within reach.
James Reynolds3 August 2026 08:30
Watch: Trump says there ‘will be a deal on Hormuz’ as peace talks to resumeTrump says there ‘will be a deal on Hormuz’ as peace talks to resume
James Reynolds3 August 2026 07:50
Prolonged Iran war can tip UK into recession next year – report
Britain’s economy could be sent into a recession next year if the crucial Strait of Hormuz remains closed into 2027 amid a prolonged Iran war, according to a report.
The latest EY economic outlook warned that gross domestic product could slow sharply to 0.5 per cent this year and contract by 0.2 per cent next year if the Middle East conflict is not resolved and the vital waterway – through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas is normally carried – remains shut until early or mid-2027.
This adverse scenario could see inflation soar to 6.4 per cent by the end of 2026 due to surging oil and energy prices, the report cautioned.
But if the Strait of Hormuz reopens by the end of the third quarter of this year, EY’s base case forecast suggests growth will remain fairly resilient, with EY upgrading its outlook to 0.9 per cent expansion in 2026 and maintaining its prediction for 1.2 per cent growth in 2027.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 August 2026 07:25
£200,000 of fuel stolen from UK forecourts every day since Iran war began
Drivers have stolen an average of nearly £200,000 worth of fuel from UK forecourts every day since the start of the Iran oil crisis, according to analysis.
Fuel theft prevention company Forecourt Eye said incidents of fuel taken without payment soared by 20 per cent in the five months after the conflict began on 28 February, compared with the preceding five months.
The increase in pump prices driven by the war means the value of stolen fuel rose by 48 per cent over the same period, reaching an estimated daily average of £194,000 across the UK’s 8,359 forecourts.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 August 2026 07:09
Israeli strikes kill 18 across Gaza
Israeli airstrikes struck Gaza for a second consecutive day on Sunday, killing at least 18 Palestinians, medics reported. The renewed violence unfolded despite an announcement from US president Donald Trump of a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year’s ceasefire agreement.
From dawn, Israeli warplanes targeted Gaza City in the north, the central city of Deir al-Balah, and the southern area of Khan Younis, marking the highest daily death toll in weeks, according to Palestinian health officials.
President Trump’s assertion on Thursday, claiming Palestinian Hamas militants and other armed groups had agreed to disarm, had previously raised hopes of a turning point in efforts to end the conflict.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 August 2026 06:55
Iran executes two people accused of working for Israel
Iran executed two Iranian nationals this morning after accusing them of sending sensitive military and security location coordinates to Israel during the Iran-war, the Fars news agency reported.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 August 2026 06:35
How Trump’s Saudi deal could spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East
Riyadh has previously said it will only seek to acquire a nuclear weapon if its rival Iran develops one. With Trump’s war failing to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme, experts tell Suha Kidwai the new agreement could plunge the region into further instability.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar3 August 2026 06:25