Despite recent remarks from President Donald Trump claiming that he planned to declare the Strait of Hormuz "a territory of the United States," the American Automobile Association has recently reported that gas prices are climbing again.
As reported by USA TODAY, Trump's remark on the strait came as the president touted the success of an American naval blockade of Iranian ports he claimed demonstrated U.S. control of the strait, which is a major accessway for oil shipping in the Middle east.
"After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," Trump said in an Aug. 14 speech in Garden City, New York. "Essentially that's what we have. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to."
Here's what to know on the state of gas prices in North Carolina and countrywide following these remarks.
According to AAA's most recent report issued Aug. 13, gas prices were on the rise again after falling for a week straight. At the time of the report, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rested at $4.07 after dropping to $4 on the Monday before the report.
Crude oil prices were once again in the $80 per barrel range amid uncertainty along the Strait of Hormuz.
In North Carolina on Aug. 19, the average price for regular gas was $3.717 per gallon, according to AAA. The average price of regular gas countrywide was $4.086 per gallon.
In the Asheville area, the average price for a gallon of regular gas was $3.747 as of Aug. 19, according to AAA. One year ago on the same date, the price was $2.851, about 22 cents lower.
The Jacksonville area ranked lowest for gas prices in the state on Aug. 19, with the average cost for a gallon of regular gas placed at $3.605. The Durham-Chapel Hill area was home to the highest prices, with an average of $3.829 per gallon.
Asheville is now ranked No. 5 for highest gas prices in the state.
As of the Aug. 13 AAA report, the five most expensive gas markets in the U.S. included:
On the other end of the spectrum, the nation's least expensive gas can be found in the following states:
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Trump claims U.S. has control of the Strait of Hormuz. See gas prices in NC