Iran Conflict Pushes Florida Gas to 4-Year High, Hitting Treasure Coast Commuters Hard

Florida drivers are paying the most for gasoline since July 2022, and the war between the United States, Israel and Iran shows no sign of producing the quick relief that some politicians are promising.

The statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $3.95 Monday, according to AAA — The Auto Club Group. That is $1.06 more per gallon than Feb. 28, the day U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes targeting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and senior leadership, and 84 cents more than a year ago. Filling a 15-gallon tank now costs roughly $16 more than it did five weeks ago.

For Treasure Coast workers who log daily miles on Interstate 95 or the Florida Turnpike — routes that routinely stretch 30, 40, even 60 miles each way between bedroom communities in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties and job centers to the north and south — the math is blunt and painful. According to available information,

The West Palm Beach–Boca Raton metro, the pricing region closest to the Treasure Coast, is already averaging $4.12 per gallon — the highest in the state, according to AAA data reported Monday.

Oil prices are doing the heavy lifting. Crude has surged nearly 45% since the conflict began, driven by disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Persian Gulf chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil flows in peacetime. Even robust U.S. domestic production has failed to insulate American consumers because petroleum is priced on a global market.

"Oil prices are doing most of the driving right now," AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said. "About half of what drivers pay at the pump comes down to the cost of crude oil. When oil prices spike this quickly and remain volatile, gas prices almost always follow."

The price pressure may deepen before it eases. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to destroy Iran's oil infrastructure — including wells, power plants and the critical Kharg Island export hub — if Tehran does not immediately reopen the strait and agree to a deal. Trump made the threat on Truth Social, writing that the U.S. would "blow up and completely obliterate all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island" if talks failed. Iran's foreign ministry dismissed U.S. demands as "excessive, unrealistic and irrational."

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has asked the White House for $200 billion in additional war funding, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not confirm the precise figure at a news conference Thursday but said, "It takes money to kill bad guys." That request faces resistance from both fiscal-hawk Republicans and Democrats demanding congressional authorization. The nation's debt has surpassed $39 trillion.

Closer to home, Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican running for governor, sought Monday to reassure veterans at a Jacksonville event that the conflict will not become another multi-decade entanglement.

"I don't believe that to be Donald Trump's foreign policy or worldview," Donalds said. "His foreign policy and worldview is, 'If you mess with me, I'm going to come over, I'm going to blow up all your stuff, and then I'm going home.'"

Donalds predicted a "succinct" resolution but offered no timeline and acknowledged Trump is deliberately keeping his negotiating position vague.

Whether that resolution arrives before summer driving season remains the central question for Treasure Coast families. AAA recommends combining errands, maintaining proper tire pressure and shopping multiple stations — pump prices can vary significantly even within a single ZIP code. According to available information,

WHAT TO DO: Residents with questions about local emergency fuel assistance programs can contact Martin County Emergency Management at (772) 288-5400, St. Lucie County Emergency Management at (772) 462-8100, or Indian River County Emergency Management at (772) 226-4000. AAA members can call 1-800-222-4357 for regional pricing tools and fuel-saving guidance.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.