CLEVELAND, Miss.–A sharp rise in gas prices in Mississippi corresponds with a rise all over the country. Gasbuddy reported the state average Thursday evening was $2.72 per gallon, a rise of almost a dime over the previous two days.
Though the cheapest gas in the state was on the coast at $2.29 per gallon, the cheapest in the Delta, at a station in Cleveland, was 20 cents higher than that, at $2.49.
The reason for the sharp increase has less to do with shortages created by Hurricane Milton, which are mostly confined to Florida, and more to do with Iran’s attack on Israel, said Gasbuddy’s head of Petroleum Analysis, Patrick DeHaan.
“Iran’s attack on Israel has at least temporarily caused oil prices to surge to the highest level in months, which could cause the declines to cease for now and could lead to a rise in gas prices for many Americans,” said De Haan.
He said this may only be a temporary jump in prices, though.
“For now, motorists in most areas can expect to see more increases in gas prices primarily due to tensions in the Middle East, but I remain hopeful that a $2.99 national average remains possible this fall.”
