Gas prices in California have climbed above $6 a gallon following the US-Israel attack on Iran, which began on 28 February and triggered a squeeze on global oil supply.

Pump prices across the United States hit their highest level since early 2022 this week. AFP spoke to drivers in Los Angeles about what soaring petrol prices are costing them.

Why are US gas prices so high right now?

US gas prices are rising because the war with Iran has crimped global oil supply. Iran retaliated against US and Israeli strikes by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway used to transport a fifth of the world’s oil and gas. The resulting supply squeeze pushed crude prices higher, lifting pump prices across the United States to their highest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

How much are Californians paying at the pump?

Gas in California now exceeds $6 a gallon, or around $1.59 per liter, up from approximately $4.50 a gallon before the war. One Los Angeles driver, 28-year-old Ryder Thomas, said filling his pickup truck now costs $130, around $30 more than before the conflict began. “I’m mad about the price, but I’m even madder about why it’s so high,” he told AFP.

Thomas blamed the war directly. “There was absolutely no need for this war. It’s just like when we invaded Iraq, there were no weapons of mass destruction,” he said.

“Trump is an idiot, that’s all it is.”

Trump has insisted the attacks on Iran were necessary to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons, and has repeatedly promised a short conflict. The war remains unpopular nationally, with polls showing a clear majority disapprove of it.

What do Californians think about Trump and rising petrol prices?

Reactions among drivers AFP spoke to ranged from outright anger to reluctant disappointment. David Chavez, a Trump voter waiting in a line of dozens of cars at a Costco petrol station, acknowledged the price rises were unwelcome but stopped short of blaming the president alone.

“We don’t know everything that happens behind closed doors. It’s too easy to blame one person for all the problems,” he said.

Chavez said he switched from voting Democrat to Trump over what he described as Joe Biden’s poor handling of immigration and the economy. He accused oil companies of using the current climate to artificially inflate prices, and pointed to California’s stricter environmental rules as a further factor pushing up costs for drivers. He admitted to being disappointed in Trump, but said he still believed the president handled things better than the alternative.

How are soaring petrol prices affecting everyday Californians?

For lower-income residents, the impact extends well beyond the pump. Flo, a 73-year-old retiree who declined to give her full name, said rising fuel costs had forced her to rely on food banks more than ever before. She takes home around $3,000 a month from her pension and a part-time job, with almost half consumed by rent. “Life was already hard,” she said. “But now it’s just harder.”

Thomas also worried about the broader knock-on effect. Rising transport costs push up prices for everyday goods including food and clothing, compounding the financial strain on households.

Trump campaigned on reducing costs for ordinary Americans. Thomas said he hoped the voters who elected him would start to reckon with the consequences. “I hope the middle-of-the-road voters who got Trump elected start thinking about it and realize what he’s done to them,” he said.