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Gasoline prices across the United States have surged by more than 30 cents in just the past week, coinciding with the U.S. military’s recent initiative to provide escorts for commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
As reported by AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has climbed to over $4.45 as of Monday. This marks an increase of more than 34 cents compared to last week and over 35 cents from the previous month.
Diesel prices have also seen a notable rise, reaching above $5.64 per gallon on Monday. This represents an increase of nearly 20 cents from the previous week’s figures, according to AAA data.
The escalation in oil and gas prices can be attributed to the Iranian military’s stringent restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. These restrictions follow the initial strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, which have heightened tensions in the region.
In response, the U.S. Navy commenced operations on Monday to escort vessels through this critical maritime passage. U.S. Central Command (Centcom) has confirmed the safe passage of two cargo ships under their protection.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of Centcom, told reporters Monday that U.S. forces have “reached out to dozens of ships and shipping companies to encourage traffic flow” through the strait.
The mission, though, prompted retaliation from the Iranian military.
Cooper said that Iranian forces opened fire on U.S. warships in the region, to which the American military responded by destroying six Iranian small boats.
As strikes in the Strait of Hormuz persist, the price of gas continues to rise in the U.S. Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, noted Monday on the social platform X that gas prices rose in every state over the past week.
Haan later wrote on X that U.S. oil and product exports have increased by nearly 30 percent since the war began on Feb. 28. Roughly 100 million are leaving American shores in the last seven days alone, Haan added.
That, he noted, is “driving prices higher” at the pump stateside.