Keir Starmer to chair Cobra meeting over costs to households from Iran war

• Sir Keir Starmer is set to chair a Cobra crisis committee meeting to address the impact of the war in Iran on UK households.
• Average energy bills are forecast to rise by almost £300 from July, reaching £1,929, despite a temporary fall in April due to green subsidy removal.
• Motorists have already incurred an additional £544 million in fuel costs since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began, with heating oil prices also soaring.
• The conflict, including Iran's selective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf states, is pushing up global energy prices, exemplified by a recent attack on a Kuwaiti oil tanker.
• While the government considers targeted support and potential intervention, the Tory leader criticised the response and proposed cutting VAT on energy bills; the US President has threatened Iran's energy infrastructure.