National gasoline prices have started to drop after a period of high tension and conflict between the United States and Iran.

在美國與伊朗經歷一段高緊張局勢與衝突之後，全國汽油價格已開始下跌。

The current drop in prices is mainly caused by the partial return of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. While Brent crude oil has fallen to about $73 per barrel, retail gasoline prices react more slowly and currently average $3.86 per gallon. This decline is not the same across the country; Western states, which have stricter regulations and higher taxes, have seen larger price drops than the South and Midwest, where proximity to refineries helped keep initial prices lower.

目前的價格下跌主要源於霍爾木茲海峽航運交通的部分恢復以及停止戰鬥的外交努力。雖然布倫特原油已跌至每桶約 73 美元，但零售汽油價格反應較慢，目前平均每加侖 3.86 美元。這種下跌在全國並不一致；法規較嚴且稅率較高的西部各州，價格跌幅較南部與中西部大，因為後者鄰近煉油廠，有助於將初始價格維持在較低水平。

There is currently a disagreement regarding how quickly these prices should fall. The Trump administration asserted that oil companies are overcharging customers, which has led to an investigation by the Department of Justice. However, the American Petroleum Institute emphasized that retail prices do not always follow crude oil costs exactly because of problems with refining and managing stock. Furthermore, because both sides continue to exchange strikes, a permanent peace agreement seems unlikely, which keeps the market unstable.

目前關於價格應下跌之速度仍存在分歧。川普政府聲稱石油公司向客戶過度收費，這已導致司法部展開調查。然而，美國石油協會強調，由於煉油與庫存管理問題，零售價格並不總是與原油成本完全同步。此外，由於雙方繼續互擊，永久和平協議似乎不太可能達成，這使得市場維持不穩定。

Economists have suggested that these lower prices could lead to negative economic results. For example, Torsten Sløk from Apollo Global Management believes that cheaper energy might increase consumer spending, which could cause higher inflation and force the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. Additionally, because the U.S. is both a major producer and consumer of oil, lower prices might discourage investment in fracking. Finally, there is a concern that cheap fuel may slow down the switch to electric vehicles (EVs), making U.S. car manufacturers less competitive globally.

經濟學家指出，這些較低的價格可能會導致負面的經濟結果。例如，Apollo Global Management 的 Torsten Sløk 認為，較便宜的能源可能會增加消費者支出，進而導致更高通膨，並迫使聯準會調高利率。此外，由於美國既是石油的主要生產國也是消費國，低價可能會抑制對水力壓裂法採油的投資。最後，有人擔心廉價燃料可能會減緩向電動車（EV）轉型的速度，降低美國汽車製造商的全球競爭力。

Fuel prices continue to fall in most states, although they are still higher than last year and remain unstable due to international politics.

大多數州的燃料價格持續下跌，儘管仍高於去年，且因國際政治因素而維持不穩定。