The ongoing Middle East conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to take a toll on the globe. For the first time since 2022, a barrel of crude oil is selling at $100 globally.

According to reports, a barrel of Brent crude is currently trading slightly above $107, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is selling at around $104.

The massive increase is expected to negatively impact petroleum product prices in Ghana, particularly in the second pricing window of March.

COPEC warns that Ghana could soon feel the impact at the pumps, as higher global prices and supply uncertainty may force fuel price adjustments.

International energy markets have been thrown into turmoil following a complete shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude oil prices soaring above 91 dollars per barrel.

The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, says the escalation of tensions in the Middle East has effectively crippled one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.

Speaking on Saturday, February 28, Mr. Amoah described the situation as a tense naval standoff. He claims forces from Iran, Russia, and China, a bloc he referred to as the “Iron Triangle,” have positioned naval assets in the strategic corridor, halting oil shipments.

He added that U.S. forces are also moving toward the area, raising fears of a broader confrontation.

According to him, more than 22 percent of the global oil supply that should have moved within the past 24 hours has not been transported.

In these few days oil prices have jumped sharply from about 67 dollars per barrel to over 91 dollars, representing an increase of more than 30 percent in a single day. The geopolitical premium on oil is now at levels not seen since the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The ongoing tensions have been linked to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in strikes by the Unites States (U.S.) and Israel. This development significantly impacting travelers from Ghana to Asia, Europe, and North America, as Dubai is a major transit hub connecting travelers through the United Arab Emirates.

On Saturday, 28 February, Emirates flight EK 788 from Kotoka International Airport (ACC) in Accra to Dubai International Airport (DXB) was cancelled, and passengers were advised to contact their airlines for rebooking or refund options due the ongoing tensions.

The airline suspended its services following reported bombings in Iraq and retaliatory attacks across the region.

The flight from Accra to Dubai International Airport, scheduled for 7:15 pm GMT on Saturday, 28 February 2026, was canceled at the last minute through a notice.

Last year, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, warned the Israeli Embassy against maltreating Ghanaian nationals. Speaking to the media on Thursday, December 11, Mr. Ablakwa noted that Ghana will respond with equal force if any of its citizens are deported.

According to him, “If they deport ten Ghanaians, we will deport ten. If they deport twenty, we will deport twenty. If they deport fifty, we will deport fifty. We are not going to accept this.”

His comments are in response to an incident in which several Ghanaian travellers, including four members of a parliamentary delegation en route to Tel Aviv for an international cybersecurity conference, were detained and deported by Israel Embassy officials.

Mr. Ablakwa narrated, “We were told that the Ghanaian Embassy was uncooperative, but the facts simply do not support that. Out of the six people on the list that Israel provided, one is not even Ghanaian. He is Gabonese. Our embassy had every right to verify the identity of the individuals involved.

"One of the people listed was seriously ill, and Israeli doctors themselves advised that she should not travel until she had recovered. How can you deport someone who is unwell and needs medical attention? Another individual had already been issued a travel certificate, so there was no reason to stop their entry into Israel.”

But in their actions, Israeli officials indicated that six Ghanaians who were supposedly due for deportation failed to provide the necessary details needed by Ghana’s Embassy in Tel Aviv to issue travel certificates.

The matter adds to broader concerns surrounding deportation practices. In September, eleven West African nationals filed two ex-parte applications at the Labour Division of the High Court in Accra, challenging their alleged detention in Ghana after being deported from the United States (U.S).

The eleven individuals include Nigerians Daniel Osas Aigbosa, Ahmed Animashaun, Ifeanyi Okechukwu, and Taiwo K. Lawson; Liberian national Kalu John; Togolese nationals Zito Yao Bruno and Agouda Richarla Oukpedzo Sikiratou; Gambian national Sidiben Dawda; and Malians Toure Dianke and Boubou Gassama.

According to the applicants, they were forcibly transported to Ghana without prior notice. They allege that they were secretly moved from the U.S. detention centers between September 5 and 6 in shackles.

They want the court to temporarily stop them from being deported back to their home countries until the court decides on their case. Their submission further revealed that Ghanaian authorities allegedly confined them in a military facility.

They cited Article 14(1) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which guarantees personal liberty, as well as Article 23, which protects the right to administrative justice.

They are arguing that Ghana is violating international law by trying to send them back to countries where their lives or freedom could be at risk.

As a result, they have demanded that the Attorney-General, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service appear before the Human Rights Division of the High Court with valid reasons. The court has fixed Tuesday, September 23, to hear the case.