Gasoline prices<\/a> in the United States hit their highest level in four years on Tuesday as negotiations over the Iran war appeared to show little signs of a resolution.<\/p>\n The price of an average gallon of gas stands at $4.17, marking an increase of $1.19 per gallon since the war began on Feb. 28, AAA<\/a> data showed. That amounts to a 28% jump in about two months.<\/p>\n The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran set off one of the largest global oil shocks in history, spiking fuel costs. Gasoline prices reached a previous high on April 9, but a U.S.-Iran ceasefire announced a day earlier ultimately put downward pressure on prices.<\/p>\n Gas prices have moved upward in recent days as oil prices rose in response to an apparent impasse in negotiations over the war.<\/p>\n A gas pump stands at a station in Manhattan on April 21, 2026 in New York City.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Spencer Platt\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Middle East conflict prompted Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, a maritime trading route that facilitates the transport of about one-fifth of global oil supply.<\/p>\n The U.S. is a net exporter of petroleum, meaning the country produces more oil than it consumes. But since oil prices are set on a global market, U.S. prices move in response to swings in worldwide supply and demand.<\/p>\n U.S. oil futures hovered around $99 a barrel on Tuesday, which amounted to a more than 50% price leap from pre-war levels.<\/p>\n Crude oil is the main ingredient in auto fuel, accounting for more than half of the price paid at the pump, according to the federal U.S. Energy Information Administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"auto](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/0bb1c8a5-fa0e-4e5f-b778-fb71db52dd12\/gas-pump-gty-jef-260428_1777392433649_hpMain_4x3.jpg?w=375 "\\"auto")
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