According to a statement released by the German Federal Government on October 30, German Chancellor Merz said to reporters in Seoul, South Korea, that the US-Iran conflict has a significant impact on Europe.
Mertz said: "Just due to the rising energy prices, the costs caused by this conflict in Europe over the past eight months have already exceeded those of other issues. Therefore, from a economic perspective, we also hope that this conflict will end as soon as possible."
Mertz said, “I can only make an appeal to all parties involved in the conflict. This applies equally to Israel, whether it is a re-elected government or a potential new government. This conflict cannot be resolved through military means.”
According to a report by The New York Times in the United States on October 30th, the war with Iran has brought significant profits to American oil companies. As people are forced to pay much higher prices for gasoline, diesel, and other fuels, these companies have earned over $130 billion in profits. By the same time in 2025, the total profits of these companies would be less than $47 billion.
Reports indicate that this is a relatively conservative estimate, based on the performance of over 50 large American oil and gas companies during the six months from April to September. Most of these companies are oil producers or oil refineries. This figure does not include profits in March, the first month of the war, nor those in October.
According to reports, the two largest oil companies in the United States, ExxonMobil and Chevron, announced on Friday that their profits in the third quarter reached levels not seen in many years. A strong performance in the refining business was a key factor contributing to these high profits.
ExxonMobil's profits increased by more than double in the third quarter. Chevron's profits nearly tripled from their previous levels.
According to analysis by the Climate Solutions Lab at Brown University, as of this week, the additional costs incurred by Americans on gasoline and diesel since the outbreak of the US-Iran war on February 28 have reached $147 billion. For each family, this amounts to over $1100 per year.
