Higher oil prices boost the energy giant's results while environmental groups accuse it of profiteering.

Profits at BP have surged to a four-year high after the war in the Middle East pushed up oil prices. The oil giant reported a profit of $5.73bn (£4.26bn) between April and June. That was more than double the $2.35bn it made in the same period last year and the highest quarterly profit since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. The price of crude has jumped since the outbreak of the Iran war earlier this year due to major disruption to global supplies of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz. Environmental and poverty campaigners blasted BP for "profiteering" off skyrocketing oil prices. Despite the big rise in profits, BP chief executive Meg O'Neill said the company was not reaching its full potential. The company, which employs nearly 14,000 people in the UK, confirmed plans to move further away from clean energy, revealing plans to sell off its US renewable natural gas business Archaea. O'Neill said this was part of her plan to prioritise "value, not sentiment or history". "We have to focus on the assets with the strongest potential to deliver competitive returns and long-term value," she said.