Consumer inflation in the United States hit a three-year high in April, government data showed Tuesday, with the economic fallout of the Iran war rippling through the world's largest economy.The consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.8 percent year-on-year, up from March's 3.3 percent figure, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said.
The US-Israel war on Iran has engulfed the Middle East in violence, with Iranian retaliatory action targeting Washington's regional allies and virtually blocking the Strait of Hormuz.
Roughly a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passes through the waterway under normal circumstances, and the blockade has sent worldwide energy prices surging.
In April, the US price index for energy rose 17.9 percent compared to a year ago, BLS data showed, by far the largest price jump for any category.
Food prices were up 3.2 percent in April over last year, the data showed, with groceries also rising at their highest rate since 2023.
