The average price of petrol in the United States has crossed the $4 per gallon threshold for the first time since 2022 as Iran continues to limit ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict in the Middle East started over one month ago.
According to data by AAA motor club, the average cost of regular petrol has jumped by 35 per cent in a continuous series of steady increases since the end of February when Israel and the United States first launched a ‘preemptive’ attack on Iran.
Reports noted that despite the U.S. not depending on oil exports from the Middle East, where major production has also been halted due to the threat of further Iranian attacks, the price of petrol has nevertheless spiked in the North American country.
Energy experts argued that the jump of petrol price from below $3 a month ago to over $4 in March could push American drivers to change their spending habits. They also noted the situation is a headache for President Donald Trump.
“We have this obsession with gas prices because they dictate a lot of ‘Can we drive? Can we do things we enjoy?’ And now some of that is at risk,” Patrick De Haan, an analyst at GasBuddy, which also tracks fuel prices, told the New York Times. “As we get to a month of increases and prices are much higher, the amount of pressure on Americans’ budgets and their spending is going to ramp up.”
Kate Gordon, a former senior adviser in the Department of Energy said presidents have minimal control over oil prices but the public is going to blame the Trump administration anyway.
“It is the biggest headache for whoever happens to be in power when something like this happens. Usually, a hurricane hits the gulf and gas prices go up, and then whoever’s in power gets blamed for it,” Ms Gordon stated.
She added Mr Trump is “going to get blamed anyway because he’s in power, but also he made the decision to go to war in Iran.”
As of Tuesday, the price of petrol has increased between $0.25 and $1.34 across U.S. states compared to one year ago, with Arizona recording the biggest surge.
