U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he ordered a probe into major oil companies over high gasoline prices as he faces criticism over the impact of the Mideast war.
Global petroleum prices soared after Iran blocked the flow of oil through the vital Strait of Hormuz in response to U.S.-Israeli strikes in February.
"The big Oil Companies are not dropping their price at the pump commensurate with the sharply lower prices they are paying for Oil," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Those prices are dropping like a rock! In other words, customers are being 'gouged'," he added.
Gasoline prices are a political issue in the United States, where fossil fuel-powered vehicles are many Americans' primary means of transport.
