Gas Prices Post Biggest Jump in Three Years

• Regular gas climbed from $3.00 to $3.11 a gallon overnight on Tuesday, the largest single-day increase going back to March 2022, with every state except Hawaii recording the rise, according to AAA.
• The spike follows Iran launching missiles and drones at Israel and US military bases across the region, rattling oil markets and pushing Brent crude above $80 a barrel.
• Seasonal demand is already climbing ahead of summer, with AAA warning that spring break travel and road trip traffic are expected to add further upward pressure on prices.

Iran’s expanding military campaign across the Middle East sent oil markets sharply higher on Tuesday, pushing the national average for a gallon of regular gas up 11 cents in a single day, the largest overnight increase at the pump going back to March 2022, according to AAA.

The national average for regular gas climbed from $3.00 on Monday to $3.11 on Tuesday morning. Premium fuel moved from $3.86 to $3.98 over the same period. Every state except Hawaii recorded the jump, and the increase pushed the national average for regular gas above $3 a gallon for the first time in 2026.

Iran has expanded its military operations in response to bombings by the US and Israel, launching missiles and drones at targets including Israel and US bases in Bahrain, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Those strikes immediately raised concerns about oil supply stability across the region.

QatarEnergy throttled production of liquefied natural gas on Monday after drone attacks damaged one of its facilities, adding a direct production impact to the broader market anxiety already in play.

Iran has also threatened commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a 21-mile waterway through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s crude oil supply passes, according to a note from Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. Any sustained disruption to traffic through the strait would tighten global supply across every major market simultaneously.

Brent crude, the benchmark for global oil pricing, hovered above $80 a barrel in mid-day trading on Tuesday, up around 4 percent from Monday’s levels.

The timing adds pressure on consumers already heading into the costlier driving months. Seasonal demand typically climbs from spring onward, and the combination of rising regional tensions with increased road traffic leaves little buffer against further price movement.

“Spring weather may be weeks away in much of the country, but the seasonal rise in gas prices is underway,” AAA wrote last Thursday. “Gas demand is also expected to increase next month as spring break season kicks off and more drivers take road trips.”

Higher demand running alongside fears of supply disruption has historically pushed prices upward, and with no resolution in sight across the Middle East, analysts expect pump prices to remain under pressure.

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