The biggest national fuel protest in 20 years is due to take place in London next week as activists warn that businesses are being brought to their knees by soaring prices.
On Monday morning, the Houses of Parliament is expected to be swarmed by a legion of farmers on tractors, lorry drivers and tradesmen in vans as they demand the Chancellor of the Exchequer takes action to tackle "out of control" fuel prices.
Monday's rally is dubbed the "National Fuel Tax Protest" and has been arranged by Reform UK, whose campaigners will call on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to axe fuel duty and lower VAT, The Times reports.
Petrol prices currently stand at 157 pence per litre and have risen almost 25 pence since the beginning of the conflict in Iran - while diesel costs 189 pence, increasing by 49 pence.
The Treasury collects around 50 per cent in tax from each litre of purchased fuel, amassing approximately £35 billion each year.
Fuel is the second-highest cost of UK industry, and passenger bus and coach operators say their bills are rising by as much as 50 per cent.
Howard Cox, a former Reform UK mayoral candidate and founder of FairFuelUK, is among those attending Monday's protest.
He said: "As far as haulage and logistics are concerned, this could be crippling. We are finding that people are not going to hospital appointments simply because they can’t afford to get there.
"We are seeing white van men not going to chase up quotes because they can’t afford to get there. It could cost them 30 quid to go and give a quote when they might not get it."
The RAC reports that that pump prices "aren’t falling at the rate our analysis indicates they should" despite a small drop over the past week.
UK Oil Watch states that the country has reserves of 29 days' worth of petrol, 23, days of diesel, 34 days of jet fuel and 14 days of heating oil. These reserves remain stable for now, as the UK continues to receive imports and produces more unleaded petrol than is uses, making it a net exporter.
However, industry relies heavily on diesel, one of the fuels for which the UK depends largely on imports.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has had a direct effect on the market for both fuels, as prices are set internationally and the straits is an important route used for around a fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG).
A full reopening of the strait currently appears unlikely for months as the US conflict in Iran continues. Most ships passing through the strait head towards the east, meaning Asian countries have been hit hardest, with the likes of Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Sri Lanka all taking fuel rationing measures.
But if those countries begin buying elsewhere, economists warn it could affect everyone. In the UK, disrupted imports could hamper the country’s ability to fulfil demand.
The UK has just four oil refineries down from 18 in the 1970s, with refinery output slashed at 55 per cent of the country's the 1973 peak, leaving the UK more reliant on imports of fuel refined until it fully embraces renewable alternatives .
The National Farmers Union (NFU) states prices of red diesel remain “critical” and as a result, rising food prices are likely.
Martin Williams, a livestock and arable farmer from Herefordshire, says the price hike in red diesel used in machinery is costing him an additional £160 a day per tractor.
“It’s horrible actually, it makes you consider if jobs are worth doing. Recreational farming comes to a halt when the diesel price doubles,” he said.
Despite the foreboding, James Hitchman, an operations director at the fuel pricing experts MyAutomate, said: “People should be concerned but not panic. The UK has strategic reserves, capacity to produce fuels via our refineries and as an island can adapt to changing supply chains.”
