U.S. national average gas prices reached $4.28 per gallon and diesel reached $6.32 per gallon following U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran in February 2026.

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High gas prices and rising living costs driven by the U.S. war on Iran, ongoing since February, have put Republicans on the defensive ahead of the November 3, 2026 midterm elections

An October 2026 Moody's estimate found that surging fuel prices, airfares, and mortgage rates tied to the U.S. war on Iran, ongoing since February, cost each American household an average of $2,000

Public dissatisfaction with affordability, inflation, and high gas prices stemming from the Iran war has driven down President Donald Trump's approval ratings ahead of the midterms

Average U.S. gas prices reached $4.26 per gallon on October 21, 2026, up almost $1.21 from the prior year following U.S. strikes on Iran and conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, according to AAA

U.S. officials stated that Iran increased attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz to raise global oil prices and pressure President Donald Trump before U.S. midterm elections.

The Iranian government is withholding salaries, pensions, and benefits from public-sector workers, internal security forces, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel due to financial strain.

The U.S. naval blockade has cost Iran an estimated $25 billion in lost crude oil export revenue since the war began.

U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper stated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is failing to pay its own military troops amid severe financial strain.

Average gas prices in the United States reached $4.31 a gallon on October 17, 2026, representing an increase of nearly 45 percent since the start of the U.S. war with Iran.

Rising diesel fuel prices and increased living costs facing American households have been driven in part by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran

Farm state Republicans urged the Trump administration to address rising diesel costs caused by market disruptions linked to the war in Iran

Pipeline capacity constraints in the Northeast contributed to petroleum briefly surpassing natural gas as New England's leading source of electricity generation during Winter Storm Fern in January 2026

Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on October 19, 2026, that expanding natural gas supply through the Constitution Pipeline is intended to lower regional energy costs and prevent electricity blackouts

Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on October 19, 2026, that the Trump administration hopes construction on the Constitution Pipeline begins next spring to enter service by the winter of 2028

The Department of Energy announced on October 19, 2026, that the Trump administration will provide up to $42 million under Title III of the Defense Production Act to support pre-construction, environmental, and permitting activities for the Constitution Pipeline

Constitution Pipeline Co. asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in December 2025 to reissue the federal certificate it had received in 2014 following renewed interest from infrastructure company Williams Companies

President Donald Trump issued a presidential determination in April 2026 invoking the Defense Production Act to support domestic natural gas infrastructure amid permitting delays and pipeline bottlenecks

The Constitution Pipeline received federal approval in 2014, but New York regulators denied a required water-quality certification in 2016, leading developers to abandon the project in 2020

Ken Lovett, senior communications adviser on energy and environment for New York Governor Kathy Hochul, criticized the Department of Energy's $42 million Constitution Pipeline funding announcement on October 19, 2026, calling it a political ploy

Rising fuel prices and economic knock-on effects from the U.S.-Israel military conflict with Iran contributed to a steady decline in Donald Trump's public approval ratings