La Jornada: Gasoline rises in the United States to $4.23, the highest level so far in the war with Iran

Gasoline prices reached a new high in the United States since the outbreak of the war with Iran, with an average price per gallon (3.78 liters) of almost $4.23, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Overall, gasoline has risen almost 150 percent since the war against the Asian country began in late February. Yesterday’s figure surpasses a similar record reached the previous day and marks the highest prices at American gas stations since April 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.

The rise in oil prices has had repercussions throughout the economy: Airlines are considering reducing flights and raising fares, while some gas stations have cut their margins to offer customers artificially lower prices in the hope of retaining their customers.

“This is the most severe pressure, in terms of margin squeezes, that we’ve seen for retailers since 2020,” Tom Kloza, Gulf Oil’s chief energy advisor, told NBC News.

Persistently high prices could hurt President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, not to mention the global economy, which the International Monetary Fund predicts could slide into recession if the war continues to disrupt oil trade in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

According to a recent poll, more than half of registered voters said they “largely” blamed Trump for rising gas prices.

The president’s popularity has hit its lowest level in a second term in recent days, with just 34 percent of people saying in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday that they approve of the Republican’s performance.

“President Trump has always made clear that these are temporary, short-lived disruptions. He took decisive action to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon that threatens the United States, and Americans are already safer because of it,” White House deputy press secretary Olivia Wales told The Independent.

The president met Tuesday with oil and gas industry executives, including Chevron CEO Mike Wirth. The meeting discussed how the United States is doing better than other countries in the midst of war and that Trump is taking the right actions, a White House official told The Independent.

Hours later, Trump issued a new threat against Iran, posting on social media an image showing the president holding an assault rifle with the message “The good vibes are over!”

Negotiations to end the war and reopen the strait, a vital route for transporting oil, remain stalled.