AUSTIN, Texas — As the war involving Iran continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, drivers in Austin are seeing gas prices climb sharply, with experts warning relief may not come quickly.

AAA said gas prices have risen nearly a dollar since last month and are increasing week by week. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Austin is $3.66, according to Daniel Armbruster, a spokesperson for AAA Texas.

“A month ago, the price was $2.67, so the price is nearly a dollar more per gallon compared to a month ago,” Armbruster said.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz at the end of February when the war started, blocking major global oil trade routes. Since then, gas prices have surged. GasBuddy reported prices in Austin have risen nearly 26 cents per gallon since last week alone. Some Austinites said the rapid increases are affecting their livelihoods.

“It hurts, man, just because it is something like I said, this is how I run my business. This is how I live my life. For me, operating my business is getting more expensive,” said Giorgio Machnizh, an Austinite.

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Tom Kloza, Chief Energy Advisor for Gulf Oil, said reopening the Strait of Hormuz is key to bringing prices down.

“It needs to be restored, or else, we are looking at the fuel apocalypse,” Kloza said.

CBS Austin asked him when drivers might see prices start to fall: “You’re not going to see them go back down in all likelihood in the next 30 days,” Kloza responded. “I still think we’re going to see lower gas prices in the second half of the year, but not if the Strait is still impeded.”

On Monday morning, President Trump posted on Truth Social that he and Iran had productive conversations that led to Trump postponing “any and all military strikes” against the country. There are also reports claiming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is encouraging the war to continue.

In the meantime, AAA urged drivers to focus on efficiency. AAA said it is important to drive efficiently to maximize gas mileage.