Things could be about to get a lot worse for petrol and diesel drivers with price rises tipped to continue and panic buying setting in. Petrol prices have soared by 10p per litre since the start of the conflict in Iran, with diesel fees up by 20p over the past few weeks.

Motorists have reported seeing queues at petrol stations, with some motorists even reporting being unable to top-up due to apparent shortages at the pumps. It's set to be a serious blow to petrol and diesel road users across the country and could create travel chaos in weeks. Express.co.uk takes a look at what's happening and why.

The conflict in Iran has caused disruption to global oil supplies coming from the Middle East, with the Strait of Hormuz in a state of crisis. Hormuz is a vital waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, with Iran lying on the north coast.

Iran has blocked the route, with just 90 ships understood to have crossed the Strait since the conflict began, down from the 130-plus that cross under normal circumstances.

The Strait is one of the world's most vital oil transit routes, with around 25% of global oil supply passing through the crucial artery.

Panic buying has set in as drivers are understandably worried that the chaos in the Middle East could come back to bite them. Reports of price hikes are worrying and motorists are buying more than they need to, using up reserves and increasing demand.

Nick Zapolski, motoring expert and founder of ChooseMyCar.com, explained that millions of drivers' panic buying would cause petrol stations to run out of fuel.

Meanwhile, Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com, stressed panic buying would put extra pressure on fuel supplies and lead to temporary disruption.

Both leading motoring groups have tried to calm motorists down, urging road users not to panic buy or fill-up their vehicles more than usual. However, the RAC has warned that prices are still likely to increase further as the disruption in the Middle East continues.

RAC's Simon Williams said: "Filling up at the cheapest forecourt is now more important than ever and there can be significant differences in prices from area to area. Use the myRAC app Fuel Finder to find the cheapest price - it could be worth travelling a little further than usual, to get the most for your money."

AA boss Edmund King explained: "Our suggestion is that drivers should not change their refuelling habits but can consider cutting out some non-essential journeys and changing their driving style to conserve fuel."

Nick Butler, former head of strategy at BP, has warned the UK could be at risk of fuel rationing in the near future. He explained that the UK is losing around 20 million barrels of oil per day due to the disruption and called on the Government to prepare for a significant shortfall of supply over the next two months.

However, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero have told Express.co.uk that petrol stations are well-stocked and fuel rationing is not a concern. They stressed that fuel production and imports are continuing across the UK as usual with no issues reported.

The Department points out that only around 1% of that imported crude came from the Middle East, with most sourced from the United States and Norway.