Gas prices are up 26 cents since last week. Here's how much Americans around the U.S. are paying.
The Iran war continues to push up prices at the pump, with U.S. consumers now paying about 26 cents more per gallon to fuel their cars than a week ago, according to new data from GasBuddy.
As of Thursday morning, the average gasoline price was $3.246 per gallon, the highest level since April 2025. The uptick represents an "unusually strong weekly climb," according to Patrick De Haan, a petroleum expert at GasBuddy.
The average price per gallon is similar to data from AAA, which shows gasoline prices hovering around the same level. Diesel prices have also climbed, rising 40 cents over the last week, according to GasBuddy.
After sliding for months, gas prices dipped below $3 in December, only to rise again as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran intensified.
"Oil prices have been creeping up on the possibility of attacks," De Haan told CBS News. "The actual attacks themselves, obviously, are a major escalation."
De Haan expects the price of gasoline to rise by another 10 to 15 cents per gallon over the next week. After that, the pace of price hikes should start to moderate, he added.
It could, however, take longer for diesel prices to cool because inventory is tighter, he said. The average price of diesel climbed to $4.124 per gallon this week, the highest level since December 2023, according to GasBuddy.
Why are prices rising so sharply?
Gas prices are ticking higher as the Iran war constrains global oil supply. Shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have stalled, while retaliatory attacks through the Middle East have dented oil production.
The U.S. is now losing access to around 20 million barrels of oil supply a day as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slows, according to De Haan.
"Nothing can replace that," he said.
President Trump this week tapped the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to insure ships sailing through the Persian Gulf to minimize further disruption.
Brent crude, the international standard, climbed $3.03, or 3.7%, to $84.42 per barrel on Thursday morning. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $4.03, or 5.4%, to $78.70 a barrel, according to FactSet.
When it comes to rising diesel costs, De Haan pointed to drone attacks on a Saudi refinery this week and Qatar's decision to shut down natural gas production, two factors that are putting upward pressure on prices.
QatarEnergy, the country's state-owned oil company, halted liquefied natural gas (LNG) production on Monday. That prompted gas prices in European and Asian markets to jump.
While the Iran war is the primary cause of rising U.S. gas prices, seasonal factors are contributing another 10% to 15%, De Haan said.
"We see gas prices go up every spring," he said. "Demand starts going up."
