LIVE UPDATES: Conflict in the Middle East (April 13, 2026)

Wall Street stock indexes were mixed and oil jumped back above $100 a barrel on Monday as the US moved to block ships leaving Iran's ports after peace talks collapsed at the weekend.

A fragile ceasefire hung in the balance as the US put pressure on Tehran, prolonging a choke on Middle East energy exports and sending jitters through equity markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.54%, to 47,660.03, the S&P 500 fell 0.10%, to 6,809.90 and the Nasdaq Composite was flat in percentage terms at 22,901.73.

Brent crude futures were up 5.14% at $100.07 a barrel as traders eyed the Strait of Hormuz, where Donald Trump said the US would start a blockade. US crude rose 4.99% to $101.39 a barrel.

Senator Imee Marcos on Monday criticized the Department of Energy (DOE) over its two-day onsite workweek amid the fuel crisis.

Marcos, during a hearing of the Senate PROTECT Committee, said some oil stakeholders and companies were complaining about DOE's work setup.

Motorists will get some relief this week as fuel retailers on Monday announced pump price rollbacks. However, these are not enough to offset 13 consecutive weeks of increases for gasoline, and 15 straight weeks for both diesel and kerosene.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday announced the schedule for the release of ?5,000 cash assistance for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and other transport service workers in Metro Manila who were unable to receive the initial payout.

Transport group MANIBELA will hold a nationwide three-day strike from April 15 to April 17 as fuel prices remain high, its chairperson Mar Valbuena said Monday.

“Hanggang Biyernes, idinedeklara natin ang isang malaking transport strike kung saan magsasama-sama ang iba-ibang transport entities, ang MANIBELA at ang iba pang transport group,” he said in a press conference.

(Until Friday, we are declaring a major transport strike where various transport entities, MANIBELA, and other transport groups will come together.)

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. announced that he already removed the excise tax on LPG and kerosene amid ongoing energy challenges in the country.

''Tinanggal ko na ang excise tax sa LPG at sa kerosene,'' Marcos said. 

Fuel price forecasts continue to be a crucial guide for motorists as they time their next full tank. These advisories are usually released on Fridays, aiming to project how pump prices will move based on global oil trends and the peso.

The following is a look at the forecasts made by oil industry stakeholders, compared with the actual pump price adjustments from March 10, 2026 to April 13, 2026. Data for the previous weeks was not immediately available from the DOE.

There is no timeline yet for the implementation of the law allowing President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to suspend or reduce excise tax on fuel amid an exponential rise in oil prices due to the Middle East armed conflict, the Finance Department said Monday.

“We're still awaiting the instructions from the Office of the President with regards to the lifting of the excise tax. If the Office of the President releases it today, the effectivity will be one to two days,” Ligon told the House’s Legislative Energy Action and Development Committee.

SINGAPORE/LONDON — Oil prices surged on Monday as the US moved to impose a blockade on Iranian shipping after the collapse of weekend peace talks, while the dollar rose and stocks and bonds fell in Asia ahead of the start of US earnings season later in the day.

The US move, aimed at putting pressure on Tehran, leaves a fragile ceasefire hanging in the balance and no end in sight to the choke on Middle East energy exports - though the mood on trading floors leaned toward hoping for a resolution.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced Monday a P75-million fuel assistance for fisherfolk amid the continuous increases of fuel costs and the ongoing market disruptions, with additional funds expected moving forward.

According to the DA, the fuel assistance will be given to over 15,000 fisherfolk through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, with the program set to be expanded through additional funds under the Presidential Assistance Program for Farmers and Fisherfolk.

“(W)e are implementing immediate and sustained interventions to assist our farmers and fisherfolk in overcoming the challenges brought about by the energy emergency,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.

“These initiatives are designed not only to provide timely relief through fuel subsidies and logistics support, but also to strengthen our food systems by improving supply chain efficiency and expanding direct market access,” he added.