<div id="readability-page-1"><div> <h2>Key Points</h2><ul><li>As of Wednesday night, Brent oil futures are trading at $93.63 per barrel, up 6.6% from Tuesday and up about 31% from their pre-war price of just over $71 per barrel.</li><li>It’s probably not a good idea to buy oil stocks solely because of the Iran war.</li><li>But midstream oil stocks can make attractive, income-oriented long-term investments. </li><li>10 stocks we like better than Enterprise Products Partners ›</li></ul>While crude oil futures have come down off their highs of about $120 per barrel set early Monday, they are still elevated due to the Iran war, which began on Saturday, Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched a joint air attack on Iran in an operation dubbed &#34;Operation Epic Fury.&#34;On Wednesday night, March 11, at about 9:30 p.m. ET, Brent oil futures are trading at $93.63 per barrel, up 6.6% from Tuesday and up about 31% from their pre-war price of just over $71 per barrel. Brent is the international benchmark. West Texas Intermediary (WTI) crude oil -- the U.S. benchmark -- is trading at $93.79 on Wednesday evening, up 7.5% from Tuesday.Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an &#34;Indispensable Monopoly&#34; providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2MDQyMS9jcnVkZS1vaWwtcHJpY2VzLWlyYW4td2FyLW9pbC1zdG9ja3MtdG8tYnV5LW5vdy5qcGcmdz03MDA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="466" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2MDQyMS9jcnVkZS1vaWwtcHJpY2VzLWlyYW4td2FyLW9pbC1zdG9ja3MtdG8tYnV5LW5vdy5qcGcmdz03MDA"/>Image source: Getty Images. <h2>How high oil prices hurt consumers</h2>The problem for consumers with high oil prices goes beyond rising gasoline prices, which get the lion's share of press attention. In addition, heating oil prices rise for those -- mostly in older areas of the Northeast -- who have oil heating.Moreover, the cost of most products will increase because transportation costs to wholesalers and retailers rise. Farm products and other heavier products with high transportation costs tend to be particularly hard-hit. This is why high oil prices are very inflationary. Granted, a quick bleep-up in oil prices might not ignite inflation significantly, but an extended rise almost certainly will.<h2>History has good news on oil spikes caused by geopolitical and other events</h2>History has good news on oil spikes caused by geopolitical and other events: They tend to be relatively short-lived. In the case of war-driven oil price spikes, oil prices tend to subside quickly after combat operations end, sometimes even before they fully end, because the markets are forward-looking.We'll get to some examples in a moment. <h2>Oil stocks are probably not attractive as short-term investments </h2>Yes, the relatively quick historical price spikes up and down mean it's probably not a good idea to buy oil stocks at this point solely because of the Iran war.If you're interested in oil stocks as a long-term investment, however, that's another story. Carefully selected ones could be attractive as long-term, income-producing investments. One thing the Iran war makes clear about energy is this: The U.S. (and most of the world) is still very dependent upon oil to sustain and grow its economy.<h2>Midstream oil stocks can make attractive, income-oriented long-term investments </h2>As a group, the best oil stocks to invest in are typically midstream companies (which store and transport the commodity through pipelines). Their financial results are less affected by changes in oil prices because they operate on fee-based, long-term contracts. They're often called the &#34;tollbooth collectors&#34; in the oil industry.Two top major midstream oil stocks are Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) and Enbridge (NYSE: ENB). Shares are paying juicy yields of 5.91% and 5.31%, respectively. Both are worth further exploring.There are also oil exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest in specific areas of the oil industry, such as midstream stocks, as well as those that invest in the broader industry. <h2>Examples showing the duration of oil price spikes caused by wars</h2>The Iraq war was a U.S.-led coalition that invaded Iraq, whose aim was to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime over claims of weapons of mass destruction.<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEueWNoYXJ0cy5jb20vY2hhcnRzLzIyNThlMGYxMDRmOTc4MjFkZGYzNWI1ZjQxMDkwMjI4LnBuZyZ3PTcwMA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="456" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEueWNoYXJ0cy5jb20vY2hhcnRzLzIyNThlMGYxMDRmOTc4MjFkZGYzNWI1ZjQxMDkwMjI4LnBuZyZ3PTcwMA"/>Data by YCharts.The Gulf war started when Iraq invaded its neighbor, Kuwait. (Excuse the typo in the chart below. It should read &#34;Gulf War.&#34;)<h2><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEueWNoYXJ0cy5jb20vY2hhcnRzL2E3YTVmNDIwNDJjMGM5MDZjNzQ4NzdlOWZmMTE0MDMyLnBuZyZ3PTcwMA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="456" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEueWNoYXJ0cy5jb20vY2hhcnRzL2E3YTVmNDIwNDJjMGM5MDZjNzQ4NzdlOWZmMTE0MDMyLnBuZyZ3PTcwMA"/></h2>Data by YCharts.Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine caused a huge initial spike in oil prices due to both fears of supply disruptions and sanctions against Russian oil and other products. This war is ongoing.<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEueWNoYXJ0cy5jb20vY2hhcnRzL2I2N2NmMzM1OGJmNGY1NGQ0MzNjNjc3MDI4NDk5YzhkLnBuZyZ3PTcwMA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="456" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEueWNoYXJ0cy5jb20vY2hhcnRzL2I2N2NmMzM1OGJmNGY1NGQ0MzNjNjc3MDI4NDk5YzhkLnBuZyZ3PTcwMA"/>Data by YCharts.<h2>Should you buy stock in Enterprise Products Partners right now?</h2> Before you buy stock in Enterprise Products Partners, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Enterprise Products Partners wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $522,791!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,132,678!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 952% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 191% for the S&amp;P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of March 12, 2026. Beth McKenna has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Enbridge. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. </div></div>

Crude oil prices remain high, with Brent futures at $93.63 per barrel, up 6.6% from Tuesday. While midstream oil stocks may be attractive long-term investments, buying oil stocks solely due to the Iran war is not advisable. High oil prices can lead to inflation and increased costs for consumers. Historically, oil price spikes from geopolitical events tend to be short-lived. Midstream companies like Enterprise Products Partners and Enbridge offer stable income through fee-based contracts, making them worth considering for long-term investment.

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