The near total closure of key energy transit route the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy facilities around the Gulf have sent oil and gas prices soaring.

Oil prices made another big jump Thursday after Qatar reported major damage to a vast liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility following Iranian strikes.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is mulling the introduction of a special tax "to skim off excessive crisis profits", the ministry source said.

The extra cash brought in would be used to "finance targeted and rapid relief", potentially through offering more tax breaks on the costs of commuting.

"Many people are already clearly feeling the economic impact of the war in Iran," the source said.

"The sharp rise in fuel prices is hitting commuters, families, and small businesses particularly hard."

Der Spiegel news outlet, which first reported Klingbeil's plan, said it would be based on a regulation brought in when energy costs jumped following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Under that system, the government imposed a 33 percent tax on prices that were 20 percent higher than the average in the previous two years.

The measure brought in over two billion euros ($2.3 billion) for the government, Der Spiegel said.

Klingbeil is hoping the European Union will propose a similar measure for the entire bloc, it added.

Berlin already announced this week it planned to strengthen the powers of its competition watchdog to target energy firms over concerns they were unfairly hiking petrol prices.

But the Federation of German Industries (BDI) criticised that plan Thursday, warning the government was initiating "far-reaching and risky interventions in competition law through a rushed fast-track procedure".

"This creates enormous uncertainty among companies and jeopardises investments across all industries," said the business group's deputy chief Holger Loesch.