0831 GMT - European natural-gas prices rise as the war in the Middle East enters its fourth week, with the U.S. and Iran exchanging fresh threats over the Strait of Hormuz and energy infrastructure. In early trading, the benchmark Dutch TTF front-month contract rises 3.9% to 61.58 euros a megawatt-hour. Prices have surged more than 90% so far this month, driven by halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and severe damage to the world's largest liquefied-natural-gas export facility in Qatar. The disruptions come at a sensitive time for Europe, where EU storage levels remain below 29%, raising the prospect of stiffer competition for LNG cargoes with Asian buyers. "Asian LNG buyers were closely monitoring the situation, with many reluctant to step up purchases in the spot market due to the higher prices," ANZ analysts write. "But the longevity of the disruptions could make that difficult." (giulia.petroni@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 23, 2026 04:31 ET (08:31 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.