The national average gas price<\/a> has topped $4 a gallon for a total of 158 days in 2026, setting a record for the largest number of days ever recorded above $4 in a calendar year, GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan said in a post on X<\/a> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The Iran war caused gasoline prices to surge after fighting in the Strait of Hormuz prompted a historic oil supply shock.<\/p>\n An oil shortage continues to bedevil crude sellers, who typically pass along higher costs to retailers and, in turn, drivers at the pump. Global oil prices register above $106 a barrel, marking a 50% jump from their pre-war level.<\/p>\n The record-setting gasoline price woes arrive as affordability stands as a top concern for voters ahead of early November’s midterm elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n An inflation report issued by the federal government on Wednesday showed gas prices jumped more than 9% in September from August, accounting for more than half of the overall price increase last month. Overall inflation clocked in at a 4-month high in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a> said.<\/p>\n The national average gas price stands at $4.33, AAA<\/a> said. Prior to the war, the average price stood below $3 a gallon.<\/p>\n A boat floats as commercial vessels appear anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Oct. 13, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Razieh Poudat\/AP Photo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Middle East conflict drove up fuel prices and catapulted inflation to a three-year high in May, but inflation eased slightly over the summer after a preliminary peace agreement established an on-again, off-again pause in fighting.<\/p>\n The tentative accord between the U.S. and Iran expired in August, however, giving way to continued attacks on oil infrastructure and ships in the region.<\/p>\n Oil exports from the Gulf have improved<\/a> in recent weeks, but heightened shipping costs and persistent risks have kept gas prices highly elevated.<\/p>\n Diesel prices, which feed into supply costs for groceries and just about every other product bought in stores, stand at $6.29 a gallon, according to AAA. That figure amounts to an increase of about 66% since the outbreak of the Iran war in February.<\/p>\n In September, consumer sentiment dropped<\/a> close to the lowest level ever recorded in the 74-year history of the University of Michigan’s monthly survey.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Bandar](\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/af9e3d36-0c23-4a72-8b62-6f4e2e06e8ee\/hormuz-ap-jef-261014_1791993996996_hpEmbed_3x2.jpg?w=375 "\\"Bandar")
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