U.S. Gas Hits $4.23, Iran War & Drone Strikes Slam Global Oil Supply

**U.S. Gas Hits $4.23, Iran War & Drone Strikes Slam Global Oil Supply** The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States has climbed to $4.23, as a war in Iran and multiple drone strikes on energy infrastructure disrupt global oil shipments and send costs soaring worldwide [136415]. In South Africa, drivers are rushing to fill their tanks ahead of a record midnight price hike, the largest single increase in the country’s history, directly caused by the conflict in Iran cutting off oil flows [117884][117581]. A Ukrainian drone attack ignited a large-scale fire at Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea, forcing evacuations and halting production at a key export facility [135091]. Even a release of 400 million barrels from strategic oil reserves has failed to stop prices from climbing, as the global energy crisis tests government responses [134719]. The supply crunch is forcing governments to act. South Africa cut its fuel levy by 3 rand per litre, but that relief has been completely overwhelmed, leaving drivers with one of the steepest pump price hikes on record [117581]. Kenya’s energy regulator has sharply increased fuel prices in response to soaring import costs, raising the price of transportation and electricity [130314]. In China, drivers are racing to pumps ahead of the biggest fuel price jump of 2024, as the government adjusts official prices based on skyrocketing international crude costs [109102]. The market disruptions are cascading into everyday life. In South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Bay, petroleum companies are limiting fuel supplies and charging emergency surcharges, adding up to 10 rand per litre to paraffin costs [108127]. A drone strike on a Kuwaiti oil tanker off the United Arab Emirates pushed global oil prices above $115 per barrel, triggering sell-offs in Asian stock markets [116225]. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, keeping pump prices high even as crude oil prices temporarily steady [116592]. Analysts say significant relief is not expected soon, as political tensions in the Middle East and damage to Russian refineries tighten global supply [124783][97612]. U.S. Gas Hits $4.23 as Iran War Disrupts Middle East Oil South Africa Braces for Record Fuel Price Surge Ukrainian Drone Strike Ignites Russian Oil Refinery, Forces Evacuation Drivers Race to Pumps Ahead of China's Biggest Fuel Price Jump of 2024 Oil Reserves Drained, But Prices Keep Rising South Africa Cuts Fuel Tax, But Drivers Still Hit by Record Price Hike Fuel Prices Skyrocket in Kenya Fuel Limits and War Surcharges Hit South African Metro Fuel Prices Climb as Gaza Ceasefire Hopes Fade Oil Prices Rocket, Hitting Drivers With Sharpest Spike Since Ukraine War Drone Attack on Tanker Sends Oil Soaring Past $115 Oil Prices Steady, So Why Is Petrol So Expensive? Fuel Shockwave: Water, Security Prices Surge After Diesel Spike