Closing the Strait of Hormuz has pushed shipping costs up by 120%, freight experts said on BNT's "Referendum" programme.

Traffic figures show fewer than 20 ships a day passed through the strait in September, down from 125 to 135 a day before the war.

With the strait closed, oil has to travel much longer routes to reach Europe, pushing up the final price. Guests on the programme also discussed the risk to supplies in Europe and Bulgaria.

Five guests joined the discussion: former deputy energy minister Yavor Kuyumdzhiev, former energy minister Alexander Nikolov, journalist and analyst Yavor Siderov, former deputy foreign minister Milen Keremedchiev, and Dimcho Dimchev, head of an international shipping company. The programme showed charts, shipping routes and forecasts.