President Donald Trump campaigned on bringing down prices, but they’re surging at gas pumps thanks to his war in Iran.
Within just a few weeks, Americans have seen gasoline prices jump by double-digit percentages because of rising global oil prices. The jump has been caused by the war that has spread across the Middle East and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil is shipped.
The U.S. average cost per gallon has climbed by nearly $1, and oil barrel prices have surpassed $100 — at one point topping $119 — from around $70 before the first strikes. It’s highly uncertain where prices will go from here, with tentative diplomatic negotiations beginning while the war enters its second month.
Here’s how prices are looking today, nationally and regionally, as categorized by the Energy Information Administration, and how they compare to before the war started.
