US Gas Prices Hit $4.11 as Hormuz Traffic Stays Near 20% of Pre-War Levels
Updated
Updated · CNN · Aug 21
US Gas Prices Hit $4.11 as Hormuz Traffic Stays Near 20% of Pre-War Levels
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 21
Summary
$4.11 a gallon is the US national average, nearly $1 above a year ago and higher than August 2024 and 2025 levels.
Only 20% of the seven-day pre-war shipping average is moving through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving refineries squeezed by war risks and export restrictions that curb fuel output.
103 ships entered and 89 left the strait over the past week—up 27% from the prior week—but most liquid cargoes still used the Omani route and no vessels were US-flagged.
The energy strain comes as Trump threatens an “economic D-Day” against Iran, while China rejects more sanctions and Tehran warns levy enforcers could face prosecution.
Rubio met Oman’s top diplomat after Trump threatened Muscat, underscoring how the war’s shipping choke point is now driving both US fuel costs and regional diplomacy.