Gas and diesel prices are rising again, according to new data, amid uncertainty over the conflict in Iran and new strikes launched by Russia and Ukraine.
Figures released on Aug. 19 by the American Automobile Association (AAA) show that regular gasoline rose 2 cents from Tuesday to Wednesday, now averaging $4.08 per gallon nationwide. The price is up 5 cents over a week ago, according to AAA.
The price of diesel has seen sharper gains in recent days.
The fuel rose about 4 cents from Tuesday to Wednesday, averaging $5.50. It’s up about 15 cents over the past week, according to AAA.
“Average gasoline prices climbed back above $4 per gallon over the last week, with prices rising in slightly more states than they fell, as rebounding oil prices driven by the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries kept upward pressure on the market,” Patrick De Haan, who is in charge of petroleum analysis at gas station price-monitoring company GasBuddy, wrote in an Aug. 17 post on X.
Those who drive diesel-based vehicles, he added, “felt the pressure even more acutely, rising in all but a few states,” and cited recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refining infrastructure.
“While the seasonal transition to cheaper winter-blend gasoline in the coming month could bring some relief, the two dominant challenges facing motorists—the closed strait and the ongoing refinery strikes—show no signs of resolving anytime soon. Until they do, the path for gas and diesel prices remains tilted to the upside,” he added.
Russia struck Ukraine’s largest grain export port on the River Danube near the Romanian border last week after stepping up attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks.
Ukraine has also intensified attacks on Russian targets including oil refineries, and both sides have hit commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that no talks were taking place with Iran and none were scheduled. He said that the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting an earlier Iranian claim that the critical waterway remained shut to shipping.
Two youths sit on the shoreline as ships are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Aug. 10, 2026. (Ali Saeedi/Getty Images)
A U.S. naval blockade against Iran “remains in full force and effect,” he added. “The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”
Trump on Tuesday morning also posted an image that claimed the strait is now U.S. territory.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing engine room damage and injuring a crew member.
The remaining crew was being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard, according to the report. No environmental impact was reported, and authorities were investigating, UKMTO said.
Iranian officials have said that the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that before the conflict carried about a fifth of the world’s traded oil, will remain closed until the United States meets the conditions agreed upon in a June memorandum of understanding.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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