Africa sees winners and losers as Iran war pushes up oil prices
Key takeaways
- Several countries on the continent have sought financial help due to economic uncertainty caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.
- Wainaina works six days a week, usually starting at 6:30am, to help support a wife and three children.
- “We can’t work as much as we usually would because the price of petrol is so high,” he told Al Jazeera.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Several countries on the continent have sought financial help due to economic uncertainty caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Motorcycle taxi riders wait to refuel at a Total Energies petrol station ahead of an announced fuel price hike impacting countries such as Kenya [File-Thomas Mukoya/Reuters]By Daniel Khalili-Tari Published On 7 May 20267 May 2026Eric Wainaina, a motorcycle taxi driver in Nairobi, Kenya, was already bracing for a loss in income when the rainy season hit in March, but the war on Iran, which erupted on 28 February, has also taken its toll.
Kenya is the latest in a series of African nations to experience the economic fallout caused by the United States and Israel’s assault on Iran, with rising energy prices leading to spiralling costs for businesses, small and large, across the continent.