Three Fronts of Oil Supply Disruptions Pose GOP Midterm Risk

Three major oil shipping routes—the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, and a Kazakhstan-to-Novorossiysk pipeline—are facing disruptions, pushing Brent crude above $100 and US pump prices higher as inventories stay thin and SPR releases wind down, complicating the White House’s bid to keep energy costs under control and broadening GOP vulnerability ahead of the midterm elections.