European natural gas prices briefly climbed past €80 per megawatt-hour on Wednesday afternoon, reaching a level not seen since January 2023. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange (AEX) closed with a significant loss in Amsterdam due to the prices, with investors concerned about the risk of inflation.The conflict between the United States and Iran has pushed up prices for natural gas and liquefied natural gas as well as oil. Ongoing fighting has left the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial energy shipping route, almost entirely blocked.