US Fuel Prices Hamper Trump’s Strategy in Iran Conflict

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Al Jazeera network website reported that while various countries’ economies are suffering from crises stemming from regional tensions and disruptions in energy supply chains, the U.S. economy is also confronting unprecedented fuel price hikes. The United States, as the world’s largest crude oil producer, has witnessed a record increase in gasoline prices since the summer of 2022. Despite the U.S. administration’s efforts to curb this trend, prices continue to climb, negatively impacting domestic inflation rates.

The current situation, coupled with rising costs for other commodities, is placing pressure on the Trump administration and constraining its options for expanding the scope of the conflict and broadening the list of targets, including Iranian energy facilities.

Over recent months, the U.S. government added 128 million barrels of oil to its strategic reserves in an attempt to bring gasoline prices below four dollars per gallon, but this measure has been unsuccessful. The price per gallon was less than three dollars before the onset of the conflict and will not return to pre-war levels until the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

Domestic oil companies in the United States determine prices based on global rates, not domestic supply and demand. This means prices can increase by as much as 60 percent more than they should.

The surge in prices, coinciding with the approaching midterm congressional elections, has become the Achilles’ heel of Trump’s strategy in the war with Iran, thereby limiting his choices.