Gas prices start climbing again as U.S.-Iran tensions flare
Prices at the pump sank following a June ceasefire. But renewed conflict in the Middle East and other factors are driving fuel costs back up.
Updated on: July 10, 2026 / 1:30 PM EDT / CBS News
Fuel prices are headed back up amid renewed military clashes between the U.S. and Iran.
The national price of gasoline rose on Friday to $3.88 a gallon, up from $3.84 a week ago, according to AAA. In recent weeks, prices at the pump fell to as low as $3.80 on July 5, down from more than $4.50 in May, after Washington, D.C., and Tehran signed a temporary ceasefire last month.
Regular gas averaged $2.98 a gallon just before the Iran war started in late February. "Gas prices are going up again, as the future of the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran remains uncertain," the auto group said in a report .
The latest spasm of violence in the Middle East is reviving concerns that a prolonged conflict could disrupt trade through the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that handles roughly 20% of global energy flows. President Trump reiterated his stance on Friday that the ceasefire with Iran was "over" after less than three weeks, while noting that the U.S. would continue negotiating.
The number of ships traversing the strait on Thursday fell to 34, the lowest daily level since June 28, when Iran launched drone attacks in the region following U.S. airstrikes on the Islamic Republic, according to S&P Global MINT and S&P Global Commodities at Sea.