American citizens are feeling the brunt of the Iran war when filling up their tanks, as the average price of gas across the nation has reached over $4 for the first time since 2022.
This is a cost that's unavoidable for most Americans thanks to the vehicle-dependant nature of many areas across the United States and while electric car owners are certainly feeling less of a strain on their wallets, the vast majority of vehicles require gas to run.
Many Americans have been left shocked by the sudden increase and some might already not have enough money to compensate for the growing costs amid an already strained economy thanks to President Donald Trump's highly controversial tariff plans which have been passed onto consumers in many cases.
Why has gas increased in price across America?
The reason behind the price increase relates to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran activated as a retaliatory measure following air strikes from the US and Israeli militaries.
This narrow passage is a vital trade route for around one fifth of the globe's total oil, and the Iranian military has even placed mines across the Strait to ensure that no ship is able to pass through regardless of how brave they might be feeling.
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Oil prices immediately surged in response to this news as investors feared imminent shortages, and this has now been passed on to regular people.
It could only continue to get worse the longer the Strait remains closed and there's a possibility that genuine shortages will occur, but for now you'll have to put up with paying an average of $4.081 per gallon across America, as per the BBC.
Which states have the most expensive gas right now?
Data has been released by the AAA that shows which states have suffered the most from increased gas prices right now, and it appears to have impacted both coasts considerably.
California stands ahead of the pack in a stat no resident would be proud of, with average prices sitting just under $5.90 across the Golden State, and its followed by Hawaii ($5.503) and Washington ($5.365) as the states with prices exceeding the $5 mark for regular gas.
Here is the complete top 20 when it comes to the highest average regular gas prices right now:
- California — $5.891
- Hawaii — $5.503
- Washington — $5.365
- Oregon — $4.966
- Nevada — $4.942
- Arizona — $4.688
- Alaska — $4.599
- Idaho — $4.268
- Illinois — $4.266
- Florida — $4.232
- District of Columbia — $4.200
- Utah — $4.192
- Pennsylvania — $4.075
- Maryland — $4.063
- New Jersey — $4.052
- Connecticut — $4.024
- New York — $4.011
- Virginia — $4.009
- Vermont — $3.992
- Indiana — $3.949
It's a similar tale for diesel too, although California holds an even greater lead at the top with average prices of $7.559 per gallon compared to Hawaii's $6.805 in second place.
If you're looking for somewhere cheaper to fill up your gas you'll want to head to Oklahoma, Kansas, or Nebraska, as those three sit at the bottom with prices of $3.272, $3.334, and $3.426 respectively.