Chicagoans are already feeling the impact of the United States and Israel’s war against Iran at the pump as gas prices continue to climb.
Gas prices in Chicago on Monday averaged around $4.08, while prices across Cook County came in at $3.89, according to AAA. In Chicago, prices are up 70 cents per gallon in the last month and are up by 47 cents compared to last year’s average.
Nationally, gas prices are up 80 cents in the last month, to an average of $3.72, according to AAA’s fuel prices report. That’s the highest price since Oct. 7, 2023, and is 74 cents higher than prices before the attacks on Iran began late last month, according to a report from CNN.
Prices skyrocketed locally and across the country after March 2, when Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. The straight is a narrow stretch of water linking the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea, and one-fifth of oil consumed globally moves through it on massive tankers.
Hundreds of international oil tankers have been struck by Iranian missiles since the conflict began, according to CBS News.
The price hike, which has affected the entire global supply chain, is already changing commuter habits in Chicago….
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