British energy major Shell on Thursday reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter profit, benefitting from the jump in oil and gas prices amid the sprawling Middle East conflict. It marks Shell's best quarterly result since the second quarter of 2022, when the company reported earnings of $11.47 billion as oil and gas prices surged in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The bumper result comes as energy majors receive a profit boost from soaring fossil fuel prices amid the Iran war. The U.S. on Wednesday launched its first airstrike in the Middle East since pausing its bombing campaign last week. U.S. Central Command described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Tuesday's attempted Iranian attacks on American forces in the Middle East.