Brent Nears $90 as Trump Demands Cloud Iran Deal Hopes

Oil is a special liquid that helps cars run and keeps factories working.

There is a very important water road called the Strait of Hormuz, and it is mostly closed, so oil ships cannot pass through easily.

Before the war, about one-fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments passed through this water road.

When oil is hard to get, it costs more money.

The United States and Iran are trying to agree on how to open the strait again.

President Donald Trump asked Iran to pay money for people who were killed in past conflicts, while Iran wants the US to pay over $300 billion for war damages that Trump had agreed to in June.

Because the two countries disagree, people worry there will not be enough oil, so prices are going up.

One kind of oil costs about $82 a barrel, and another kind is near $87, heading toward $90.

Only five ships are moving through the strait right now, much fewer than the 14 that used to pass each day, and some experts think prices may keep rising.