Shell has announced rocketing profits for the first three months 2026 which outstrip even analyst expectations, thanks to rocketing oil prices caused by the Iran war. The oil giant reported underlying earnings of $6.92 billion (£5.09 billion), more than double the result in the previous three months and 24% higher on a year ago. Most analysts had expected the group to report profits of $6.36bn (£4.67bn). However, like rival BP, the company has come in for attacks from policy groups for profiting enormously from a conflict which is set to see UK households face big bill increases , across energy, food and transport over the course of the year. Shell said the soaring cost of crude had boosted its oil trading business, and the wider chemicals and products division saw underlying earnings more than quadruple to $1.93bn (£1.41bn) from $449m (£330m) a year earlier.…