On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint-military operation in the Middle East, primarily. It’s the second time in under a year that the two nations have joined forces to launch strikes in the region.
In June 2025, Israel launched their surprise attack on Iranian nuclear depots and manufacturing plants, aiming to dismantle the country’s nuclear weapons effort, with the conflict lasting 12 days.
However this time around, the United States has continued their strikes, with no end in sight to the conflict as of now. Because of the conflict, oil prices around the globe have skyrocketed.
Iran has seized control of the Strait of Hormuz, and foreign oil tankers in the strait have been fired upon, resulting in
The situation in the strait as well as the Persian Gulf has escalated to the point where tankers are stuck and in some cases, surrounded by sea mines that have been placed in the water by the Iranian navy.
Wilkes University professor of global economics Dr. Mona Pearl explained that a large reason for oil prices increasing is panic on the market.
Dr. Pearl explained that people ‘get panicky.’ As the conflict goes on, the people who were invested in long-term oil markets take their money out.
She went on to explain that as the United States releases more barrels from the strategic reserves and the market stabilizes, prices will track down eventually.
Closer to home, NEPA has been no stranger to the rising costs of fuel around the country. Many first think of gasoline and diesel when they think of rising oil prices, however another largely used fuel in the area is heating oil.
In Pennsylvania, heating oil is a fairly common source of fuel for households in the commonwealth. According to the Northeast Gas Association, approximately 13.5 percent of households in the Keystone State use fuel oil to heat their homes.
Heating oil is used primarily by those in areas in which natural gas is unavailable, mostly in rural areas, such as Shickshinny.
Shickshinny resident and Northwest Area High School principal Ryan Miner says his costs have risen.
“When we first moved in, oil was all we had for heat. We added the wood pellet stove so we didn’t have to use so much oil,” he said. Miner went on to explain that his oil bill rose from $2.95 on Dec. 26, 2025 to $3.45 a gallon on March 2.
The rising costs to heat his home are no different than other places in Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, heating oil in February was about $3.88 a gallon. Just over a month later, the average price for a gallon of residential heating oil has risen to $4.79, an almost one-dollar increase.
However, local gas companies in NEPA have seen their prices rise further than the average. On Feb. 27, Button Energy, located in Mountain Top, Pa. was selling their heating oil for $3.97 a gallon, which was prior to the conflict’s beginning. As of March 23 that price rose over a dollar to $5.26 a gallon. More specifically, it’s a $1.29 increase.
With no end in sight to ‘Operation Epic Fury,’ one can only assume that the price of oil will only continue to rise globally. For local residents and fuel distributors, it’s not a matter of if, but when they will have to cope with rising fuel costs.
“If we get low, we have no other choice because it also heats our hot water,” Miner said. “It does make us try to not use it as much.”
There have been rumblings of a ceasefire agreement, with Pakistan serving as the mediator in talks. For now though, the U.S. has said it’s going to use its navy to open Hormuz.
While spring is approaching alongside warmer temperatures, households may see some relief come their way, but for now, the conflict drags on and fuel prices continue to climb.
Sidebar:
With the rising prices of oil globally due to the conflict in the Middle East, gas and diesel prices have seen a high increase as well. Gas prices in Wilkes-Barre remain at over four dollars per gallon. Diesel prices in the area are hovering around five to six dollars per gallon at the moment. The Sheetz on Highway 315 in Plains Twp, Pa. has had their prices go up. Right now, a gallon of gas is $4.25, with diesel tracking well over six dollars per gallon.
