Gasoline costs $4.29 as war with Iran enters eighth month

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $4.29 on Monday, marking a sharp rise for households already strained by the ongoing conflict with Iran. This cost is 44% higher than the $2.98 average recorded before the war began in late February. As the midterm elections approach on November 3, the price tag has become a central issue for voters and a growing challenge for the administration.

President Donald Trump has struggled to manage the narrative around these rising costs. In his 2026 State of the Union address, delivered just days before the United States joined Israel in launching attacks on Iran, he touted low fuel prices. He claimed gasoline was below $2.30 in most states and as low as $1.85 in Iowa. That optimism has shifted as crude oil prices have fluctuated wildly between $68 and over $100 per barrel since the conflict started.

The president has maintained that the expense is a necessary trade-off to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. At a campaign rally in Georgia over the weekend, he told supporters that the United States is making a fortune from the higher oil prices. He described the situation as a small price to pay, a stance he reiterated at a stop in North Carolina. There, he noted that prices were a little higher but remained inexpensive compared to the strategic gains of the war.

Diesel prices have surged even more dramatically, impacting the transportation and agricultural sectors. The national average for diesel is currently $6.35 a gallon, up from $3.76 in February. This figure represents a 74% increase over the cost from a year earlier. The spike in diesel costs has forced the administration to seek new solutions to support key industries.

In a move that reverses years of pressure on Moscow, Trump announced a deal to purchase Russian diesel earlier this month. He stated that this agreement, combined with what he calls total control of the Strait of Hormuz, will drive prices down quickly. He emphasized that lowering costs for farmers, ranchers, and truckers is his greatest priority. The administration is also pushing a new harvest fuel relief program aimed at providing $8 billion in support for farmers.

Despite these measures, Trump has indicated that widespread relief may not arrive before the election. In early September, he predicted that oil prices would remain high until after the midterm vote. He told supporters that prices would begin tumbling downward only right after the election results were in. For now, drivers continue to pay record levels at the pump while the administration balances its energy policy with its political calendar.