US Fuel Prices Hit Four-Year Highs as Trump Dismisses Economic Strain
Washington, D.C., Friday, 22 May 2026.
Triggered by the Iran conflict, US gasoline prices surpassed $1.06 per liter nationwide this May, an economic strain Donald Trump controversially dismissed this week as mere “peanuts.”
Economic Contagion from Foreign Policy
Earlier this spring, reports highlighted that rural voters, such as those in Colorado, were willing to endure fuel prices that had surged by 50% to roughly $1.15 per liter in support of the administration’s overarching strategy against Iranian nuclear proliferation [3]. However, the economic reality of the conflict, which officially began on February 28, 2026, is now rippling through the broader United States economy [2]. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and significant damage sustained by key fuel refineries, the national average for gasoline reached a four-year high, crossing the $4 per gallon threshold in all 50 states as of May 20, 2026 [2]. By May 21, 2026, the national average stood at $4.564 per gallon [alert! ‘Maintaining source accuracy by reporting in gallons as provided, to avoid introducing unverified SI conversion factors’] [1].