The Australian sharemarket slumped on Friday as surging oil prices pressured bond yields and squeezed central banks to consider raising interest rates.

Rising oil prices have worsened worries about the high inflation weighing on consumers and companies with the Reserve Bank under increasing pressure to raise rates.

The Australian sharemarket has slumped to a fresh six-week low as crude oil traded above $US100 a barrel amid further escalation in the US war with Iran.