Gas prices in Minnesota rising sharply amid elongating war in Iran
Gas prices in Minnesota are climbing, mirroring a national trend experts say is at least in part caused by the U.S. and Israel attacking Iran.
According to AAA, the average price of gas in the state jumped 16 cents in a day, from $2.83 on Monday to $2.99 on Tuesday. A week ago, the average was $2.71.
A spokesperson for AAA said the company "anticipated a short-term spike in prices due to conflict in Iran," but that prices go up every spring "as demand for gas goes up and more folks are travelling."
Nationally, the average price for a gallon of gas rose to $3.11 on Tuesday, according to AAA. That's the first time it has surpassed $3 since early December.
Earlier this week, University of St. Thomas economics professor Tyler Schipper told WCCO there was "reason to be concerned" about the war in Iran raising gas prices, and that the longer the conflict goes on, the greater the impact will be. Schipper also advised caution, though, because the U.S.'s status as the world's No. 1 oil producer "does a lot to cushion some of these shocks from oil prices and instability in the Middle East."
President Trump has hinted the war in Iran could go on longer than expected, saying he initially "projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer on that" in remarks from the White House. On Truth Social, he went a step further, saying, "Wars can be fought 'forever'" using the country's weapons stockpiles.
The war in Iran also caused stocks to plummet Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1,110 points, or 2.2%, in early trading, while the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite each dropped 1.9%.
Note: The video above originally aired March 2, 2026.
