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The price of gasoline in the United States will remain high for several more months and may not stabilize until 2027, warned Derek Reisfield, co-founder of the financial site MarketWatch, in statements reported by Univision.
The national average price of regular gasoline is $4.174 per gallon this Sunday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), representing a slight decrease from the peak of $4.48 reached in early May, but still 44% higher than a year ago.
California leads the country with the highest prices at $5.916 per gallon, followed by Washington ($5.67) and Oregon ($5.30), while Florida records $3.832 and Texas $3.75.
Reisfield explained that the slow replenishment of oil reserves will prevent an immediate drop in service station prices, and that the supply chain could take months to stabilize.
"It will also take time for the supply chain to stabilize again, a process that could take months. Therefore, although fuel prices may not continue to rise from this point, they also won’t decrease quickly, and the decline will be gradual, especially until confidence in the supply chain is restored," the expert noted.
The origin of the crisis dates back to February 28, 2026, when the U.S. and Israel launched "Operation Epic Fury," which destroyed 90% of Iran's missile arsenal.
Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz on March 4, collapsing naval traffic by 97% and leaving nearly 2,000 ships stranded on a route that accounts for 20% to 25% of the world's oil.
The International Energy Agency described that blockade as the largest supply disruption in the history of oil markets, with crude oil reaching $112 per barrel in early April, compared to the $67-$70 range before the conflict.
Reisfield also warned about the damage to key energy infrastructure: "Some of that damage will take years to repair, as is the case with the Ras Laffan gas plant in Qatar, which supplies nearly 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas and sustained significant damage."
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran continue without a finalized agreement. On June 1st, Iran suspended talks with the U.S. following new Israeli attacks in Lebanon, which keeps markets in uncertainty.
The expert warned that if hostilities resume, "oil and gas prices will quickly skyrocket again, as much of the stored reserves have already been used and there will be less margin to buffer against new supply disruptions."
The economic impact goes beyond gasoline.
The war with Iran raised inflation in the U.S. to 3.8% year-on-year in April 2026, the highest level since May 2023, with real wages dropping by 0.3% year-on-year.
Two out of three Americans are already cutting back on spending, according to a Conference Board survey from May 2026.
Patrick De Haan, an analyst at GasBuddy, projected a phased recovery: one-third of the increase would be reversed within one to three months, another third in three to six months, and a return to pre-war prices would only occur by early or mid-2027. This scenario aligns with the warning from Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who indicated that gasoline may not fall below $3 per gallon until that year.
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