Average US Gas Price Holds Steady, Maryland's Increases Slightly After Airstrike Kills Iranian General
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Despite rising tensions in the Middle East in the aftermath of a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, the nation's gas prices have remained relatively steady, AAA said Monday.
While crude oil prices went up by nearly $2 per gallon in the wake of the attack that killed General Qassem Soleimani, AAA said the nation's average price for a gallon of gas stayed flat at $2.58.
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In Maryland, AAA said the average gas price has increased by three cents over the past week to $2.54 per gallon. Gas prices statewide rose an additional three cents last week, in part due to increased holiday travel.
On Friday, a AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson said it was too soon to speculate about the short-term or long-term impacts of the deadly airstrike on the price of crude oil or gas prices. A spokesperson for the national level of the organization echoed that message Monday.
"It's typical to see crude oil prices push more expensive amid current events," AAA spokesperson Jeanette Casselano said in a news release. "What this increase means in terms of retail prices is yet be seen. It depends on how expensive crude oil prices go and the duration at which it sells at a higher price point."
Compared to this time last year, gas is around 34 cents more expensive per gallon, AAA said.