The DAX 40 fell 0.5% to around 25,870 on Wednesday, its lowest level in a week, as escalating United States-Iran tensions around the Strait of Hormuz drove oil above $100 per barrel and intensified inflation and interest-rate concerns. The US military said it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers and sank one in retaliation for Tehran's attack on a US warship. Beiersdorf shares fell 1.5% to €75.38 after Deutsche Bank downgraded the consumer staples company to Sell from Hold, keeping its €70 price target unchanged. The global crude benchmark topped $101 per barrel, while US diesel rose above $200 per barrel for only the second time. Analysts warned that fuel shortages, particularly for diesel, could become more widespread in Europe, the U.K. and South Asia as tanker traffic through Hormuz slowed sharply, inventories fell and refineries remained offline. The ECB was widely expected to raise rates by 25 basis points the following day, with further increases possible before year-end. Energy-intensive companies and banks were among the biggest decliners; Rheinmetall fell 3%, while Deutsche Börse dropped 1.7% as investors assessed a planned €600 million convertible bond. Deutsche Bank said European consumer staples faced weaker consumer-wallet growth, channel shifts and structural pressures despite trading at their lowest relative level to the broader market in 18 years.