Trump says "Customers are being 'gouged,'" as fuel price declines lag after Iran conflict

In June, after the U.S. took part alongside Israel in military action against Iran, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social to complain about the pace of fuel price declines. GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan reported five California stations at $9.999 per gallon—the highest figure their four-digit signs can show—while the state’s diesel average stood at $7.76 on Sept. 9. The nationwide diesel average set a record at $5.87, amid the Iran conflict and constrained global supplies after the Strait of Hormuz closed. Trump later indicated relief was unlikely before the midterm elections, predicting costs would drop and gasoline could fall below $2. He approved pulling 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. California authorities have reportedly opened a probe into unusually high fuel charges at certain stations, though no suspected outlier has been confirmed.