Despite President Donald Trump’s previous demand for gasoline retailers to "get their prices down immediately," the U.S. national average for regular gasoline surged back to $4.00 a gallon on Monday as military strikes between the U.S. and Iran escalated once again.
Ceasefire Collapses as Fuel Costs Rise
According to the Motor Club Federation AAA, the national average reached $4.0030 per gallon, up sharply from $3.1410 a year ago.
Diesel prices also climbed to $5.1080. Gas prices originally crossed $4 in late March before falling in mid-June when crude prices eased under an interim deal.
Even then, President Trump expressed frustration that pump costs were not declining as quickly as crude, prompting calls for retailers to lower prices. However, the recent collapse of that fragile agreement has sent energy markets soaring. Brent crude rose to $88.28 per barrel, while benchmark WTI U.S. crude was hovering around $81.58.
