U.S. Gas Average Tops $4 Again as Iran Conflict Closes the Strait of Hormuz

July 24, 2026

The national average for regular gasoline climbed back above $4 a gallon on July 20, 2026, ending an eight-week decline. The article, written by Sterling Ashworth for Natural News and republished by SHTFPlan, ties the jump to renewed fighting with Iran and expects prices to stay high.

The short version

Citing AAA, the piece puts the average at $4.003, ending an eight-week slide from a wartime peak of $4.57 in May. Brent crude rose more than 3% in a day to above $90 a barrel, and crude gained 16% over the week, the biggest weekly rise since April. The trigger was a week of Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and consecutive nights of U.S. strikes. The strait, which carried roughly 20% of world oil before the war, closed again after briefly reopening in late June.

Diesel is back above $5 nationally according to GasBuddy, whose analyst Patrick De Haan had predicted the $4 mark within 7 to 10 days. The article links energy costs to May inflation of 4.2% and record credit card debt of $1.25 trillion. It concludes that even a reopened strait would not bring back pre-war prices soon.

Key points

Pump price: The national average for regular hit $4.003 on July 20, per AAA.
Diesel: Diesel is above $5 nationally again, and San Francisco diesel passed $8 in April.
Gulf output: Persian Gulf oil production is down 57% from pre-war levels, according to a source the article cites.
Reserves: The International Energy Agency released a record 400 million barrels from emergency stocks in March.
Household cost: Moody's Analytics estimates the war has cost the average household about $1,000, including $300 in extra gasoline.

Bottom line

Fuel costs are climbing again, and the article sees no quick relief while the strait stays closed. It matters to any household or business that budgets around fuel, with diesel users hit hardest.

Summary by Firearm Discounts. Read the full story at SHTFPlan.