Americans heading out for Memorial Day weekend are confronting some of the highest gasoline prices on record, even as more than 39 million people are expected to travel by road. The surge is largely tied to renewed conflict in Iran, which has disrupted global oil supplies, strained shipping routes and pushed crude prices sharply higher.

National averages are nearing historic peaks, with the steepest prices on the West Coast, including more than 6 dollars per gallon in California. East Coast and Midwestern states are also seeing prices well above 4 dollars per gallon, while Southern states, though somewhat lower, are experiencing steady increases. Diesel fuel has risen even faster, climbing more than 2 dollars over the past year, adding pressure to shipping, freight and consumer goods prices.

President Donald Trump has responded by releasing record amounts of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, calling for a federal gas tax holiday and temporarily waiving a longstanding shipping law to speed domestic fuel transport. Despite these efforts, prices remain elevated, creating economic and political challenges as elections approach and households grapple with persistent inflation.