So much winning! US drivers are spending $682,500,000 more each day for gasoline

Today's price at a station in Salt Lake City.

I am not a big proponent of cars still, even though in Salt Lake I use a car all the time, much because of my health because while I am much better than I was 2 and 2.5 years ago, I'm still weak when it comes to bicycle riding.

Although one cool thing is in one direction I live one half mile away from a decent shopping center with a supermarket.  And in another direction, 0.8 miles to an upscale market and a couple of other retailers and restaurants on the other three corners.  I will walk to those places--especially if I don't have to buy a lot.  I hate carry groceries so a backpack's worth is about my maximum.

Anyway, the average gasoline price per gallon in the US right now is about $4.50.  That's what it is in Salt Lake, well in the last couple days a couple cents less, even though we have five refineries a few miles away--cost isn't about proximity to nearby produced gasoline that influences pricing, it's world pricing.

The White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said this in the Washington Post article, "U.S. intelligence says Iran can outlast Trump’s Hormuz blockade for months":

" ... Iran is losing half a billion dollars daily because of the blockade. “During Operation Epic Fury, Iran was crushed militarily,” Kelly said in a statement. “Now, they are being strangled economically by Operation Economic Fury and losing $500 million per day thanks to the United States Military’s successful blockade of Iranian ports. The Iranian regime knows full well their current reality is not sustainable, and President Trump holds all the cards as negotiators work to make a deal.”

Turns out, about 375 million gallons of gas are consumed daily by US motor vehicle operators.  

With the price rise in our area from 2.68 to 4.50, that's an increase of 68%.  $375,000,000*1.82 = $$682,500,000.  

That's more each day for just  gasoline--other prices are rising too (plus the cumulative effect of tariffs; wonder why brie cheese costs more?)--than Iran is losing.

In normal circumstances, a President has no ability to affect oil prices, except on the margin, maybe, by releasing fuel from the Strategic Reserve.  Choosing to go to war with the consequence of the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz is 100% on Trump.  (My joke about this during the Biden Presidency was "Hey, Joe Biden's not building refineries."  A commenter had the gall to tell me that's not what presidents do.  Like I don't know that?

I don't see how the US is winning when it is spending more on weapons and personnel, taking loses to infrastructure, dissipating its weapons inventory, combined with increased costs to consumers.