California Governor Gavin Newsom has blamed a recent surge in gasoline prices on President Donald Trump's military conflict with Iran, saying Americans will pay '$1.5 billion more at the gas pump just this week' as a result. Prices have climbed nationwide since the joint United States and Israeli strike began on February 28, with California recording the highest average costs in the country. Newsom said the state would use existing tools to combat price spikes and shield consumers from the impact of the conflict.

Republican critics, including gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and other state and federal officials, argue that California's high fuel taxes and environmental regulations are the real cause of elevated prices. They point to the state's gasoline tax, which exceeds 70 cents per gallon, refinery closures, and declining in-state oil production as key drivers. Opponents say these policies have made California more vulnerable to global supply disruptions and have kept prices well above the national average.

While California's prices remain significantly higher than elsewhere, fuel costs have risen across the country. The national average has jumped from about $2.90 per gallon before the conflict to roughly $3.60, as global oil markets react to instability in the Middle East. Newsom's office maintains that the increase is part of a broader global trend, while critics insist state-level policies are chiefly to blame for the sharper spike in California.