What’s next for oil and gas prices as Middle East tensions heat up?

Oil prices climbed this week as unrest in the Middle East escalated. Iran launched missiles at Israel and the Israelis threatened retaliation, raising the possibility of a disruption on the flow of oil from the region. A jump in oil prices automatically spurs fear of a spike in gasoline prices, but experts see reasons that may not happen. The long-term expectation among market watchers is for oil prices to move lower, not higher. That’s because the balance between supply and demand has tilted toward supply, a dynamic that typically weighs on oil prices.