Oil prices surge after US-Iran peace talks break down

NPR | By Lauren Frayer,

A Martínez

Published April 13, 2026 at 4:45 AM EDT

The U.S. said on Sunday that it will soon block ships from Iranian ports. It comes after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement during face-to-face peace talks, sending oil prices surging.

Lauren Frayer

Lauren Frayer covers India for NPR News. In June 2018, she opened a new NPR bureau in India's biggest city, its financial center, and the heart of Bollywood—Mumbai.

See stories by Lauren Frayer

A Martínez

A Martínez is one of the hosts of Morning Edition and Up First. He came to NPR in 2021 and is based out of NPR West.

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