21 July,2026 08:36 AM IST | New York | Agencies
Representation pic
US gas prices jumped back to USD 4 a gallon on average Monday, as Washington's latest fighting with Iran renews strain on the flow of fuel worldwide.
According to motor club AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now just above the USD 4 mark. That's about 13 cents more expensive than it was a week ago, and far higher than where prices at the pump stood at this time last year, when American drivers could full up for about USD 3.14 a gallon on average.
The U.S. and Israel's war with Iran plunged the world into an global energy crisis, notably as the cost of crude oil - the main ingredient in gasoline - soared due to supply chain and production disruptions across the Middle East.
Energy prices cooled last month, when Washington and Tehran reached an interim agreement aimed at permanently ending their fighting and reviving traffic in the key Strait of Hormuz. But that peace deal has now crumbled - with the U.S. on Monday only intensifying airstrikes against Iran, which has responded by launching its own attacks on American allies in the region. And oil flows are largely stalling again.
Many eyes are on the White House. Before co-launching the war in late February, President Donald Trump once bragged about keeping gas prices low - and expressed frustration about them not falling as quickly as the cost of crude oil last month. If prices continue to rebound, expensive gas will likely be at the top of voters' minds during the midterm elections this November.
US gas prices are now back at the USD 4 mark. But that figure is a national average, meaning drivers in some states have been paying well over USD 4 a gallon for a while now, while others pay less.
California on Monday continued to see the most expensive gas, with an average of nearly USD 5.50 a gallon - followed by almost USD 5.42 in Hawaii and USD 5.01 in Washington state, per AAA. Meanwhile, states like Indiana and Mississippi have averages closer to $3.35 and $3.57, respectively. Prices vary between due to factors ranging from nearby supply to differing tax rates.
Crude oil is the main ingredient in gasoline, and its cost makes up the bulk of what consumers pay at the pump. There's a bit of a delay because refineries buy crude in advance, and deliveries of that oil take time. But the latest gas prices follow an uptick in oil costs seen over recent weeks. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, swung between roughly USD 86 to USD 91 a barrel Monday - compared to closer to $72 at the start of July.
Oil has been volatile throughout the course of the war, with prices soaring more rapidly in the conflict's early days. In March, Brent climbed as high as nearly USD 120 per barrel. Meanwhile, U.S. gas prices hit a four-year record of more than $4.50 a gallon in May.
The national average fell as low as USD 3.79 a gallon earlier this month. And the latest turnaround is bringing whiplash to some drivers.
"I am down to the last drops of gas," said Litza Mavrothalasitis, a Chicago resident, when filling her tank on Monday - adding that she was shocked to see how high had gone up again. "It was just
unbelievable. I thought we were finally settling down."
Jacob Fisher, another Chicago resident who was buying gas on Monday, added that thinking about what's behind these higher fuel costs "makes me angry."
"Senseless war in Iran, and our current administration is fueling a lot of this - and it's terrible," Fisher said. "It is not serving the American people. Nor does it serve anywhere in the entire world."
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
