BUDAPEST, February 28. /TASS/. The US and Israeli military operation against Iran could trigger a sharp rise in global oil prices, and under these circumstances Ukraine’s blockade of the Druzhba oil pipeline amounts to a "crime twice over," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

"Iran is one of the world’s largest oil producers, accounting for 15% of oil supplies to China. There is also the [Strait of] Hormuz, through which oil from other Arab countries is exported by tanker to the global market. That strait could be closed, and this would cause a significant increase in global energy prices," the head of government said, according to remarks broadcast by the M1 TV channel.

"The fact that Hungary has been cut off from oil in such a situation is a crime twice over," Orban said, recalling that Kiev refuses to resume transit of Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline. The prime minister assured that Hungary would not yield to pressure from Ukraine and would not make concessions. "We will break this oil blockade, we will win this battle," Orban pledged. He did not assess the actions of the United States and Israel against Iran.

Russian oil has not been supplied to Hungary since January 27. On February 15, Hungary and Slovakia asked Croatia to allow transit of crude via the Adriatic pipeline. The Hungarian government also decided to provide oil from state strategic reserves to MOL for its refineries. Budapest maintains that the Druzhba pipeline is technically ready for operation and that Kiev is blocking it solely for political reasons.