March 5, 2026–Written by Daniel Graeber for IIR Energy Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)–With supply-side strains and a risk premium propping up crude oil prices, retail gasoline prices for U.S. consumers–who already are fretting over affordability issues–jumped more than 7% over the week, data show.
Travel club AAA put the national average retail price at $3.19 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline on Wednesday, up 7.2% from the same period last week. The increase was sparked by a rally in crude oil prices, which jumped after U.S. and Israeli forces took out Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a weekend airstrike, triggering widespread war in the Middle East.
