(NEXSTAR) – The dropping gas prices we saw earlier this month may have been a fake-out. The national average is now $4.06, according to AAA. That's unusually high for this time of year, when gas prices usually start to drop at the end of summer. In fact, gas has never been this expensive this late into August, petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan said last week. The return to rising prices is largely due to two ongoing international conflicts. While the Iran War has kept pressure high on gas prices, De Haan said, an escalation in conflict elsewhere in the world is now making things even harder for diesel drivers. "Diesel felt the pressure even more acutely, rising in all but a few states, as Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refining infrastructure continue to impact refined product prices more than crude oil itself." While there are fewer diesel cars on the road than there used to be, the number of diesel drivers is still significant. Nationwide, there were more than 7 million registered light-duty vehicles that took diesel fuel in 2025, according to the Department of Energy. That's higher than the number of electric vehicles, which was around 5.7 million. Diesel fuel is also especially important for trucking and transporting goods, accounting for about 22% of energy consumption in the transportation sector, according to the Energy Information Administration. It's also used to power most construction and farming vehicles, the agency says. Where are fuel prices highest? As of Monday, many states were seeing worse-than-average prices at the pump. In places like California, Hawaii and Washington, a gallon of gas easily tops $5. Diesel, meanwhile, is nearing $7 per gallon in certain states. The states with gas prices higher than the national average, according to AAA data, are: Gas is also above the national average in Washington, D.C., where a gallon of regular will set you back $4.22 on average. Unfortunately for cash-strapped drivers, the future isn't looking too optimistic, according to De Haan. "While the seasonal transition to cheaper winter-blend gasoline in the coming month could bring some relief, the two dominant challenges facing motorists — the closed Strait and the ongoing refinery strikes — show no signs of resolving anytime soon. Until they do, the path for gas and diesel prices remains tilted to the upside." Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.