This latest iteration of the Middle East crisis is both familiar and unfamiliar. We’re all back obsessing about the oil price, yet we also know from the last few years that that same oil price has appeared somewhat impervious — oblivious?

Oil prices leaped, and stocks slumped on worries that escalating violence following Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear and military targets could damage the flow of crude around the world, along with the global economy.

I avoid long-term oil investments due to unpredictable price swings, but high implied volatility now creates an opportunity to sell options for

Although the U.S. is a net oil exporter, higher oil prices could increase inflation and lower economic growth.

A sustained surge in oil prices is likely to complicate the U.S. fight against inflation. A $10-a-barrel increase would boost year-over-year growth in the consumer-price index by 0.5 percentage points,

NEW YORK (AP) — Some calm is returning to Wall Street, and U.S. stocks are rising on Monday, while oil prices are giving back some of their initial spurts following Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear and military targets at the end of last week.