<p><strong>GasBuddy</strong> analyst <strong>Patrick De Haan</strong> dismissed talks of the average price of gas in the U.S. reaching $7/gallon as tensions escalate in the Middle East amid the U.S.-Israel and Iran war.</p>



<h2>National Average Wouldn’t Reach $6-7/Gallon</h2>



<p>In a post on X on Saturday, De Haan quoted a post by a user who predicted that the gas prices would reach $7 by the end of next week, urging people to fill up gas in their vehicles with gas before the price hike.</p>



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<p>“I definitely don't see this remotely possible at all,” De Haan said. He also added that he did not see that gas prices reaching $5/gallon during the same period </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div>
<blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I definitely don't see this remotely possible at all. Unless the world has changed while I've watched the first 25 minutes of Top Gun the national average will NOT rise to $6-$7 let alone $5 by the end of the coming week. https://t.co/iJaWWf0g7w</p>— Patrick De Haan (@GasBuddyGuy) May 17, 2026</blockquote>
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<p>In the same thread, De Haan responded to a user who asked him about President <strong>Donald Trump</strong>‘s comments about Iran facing a ticking clock, which has sent oil prices surging across markets. “If something warranted a comment I would comment,” De Haan said.</p>



<p>The comment in question was made via a post on Truth Social by Trump following his refusal of an Iranian peace proposal. “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” he said.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div>
<blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If something warranted a comment I would comment.</p>— Patrick De Haan (@GasBuddyGuy) May 18, 2026</blockquote>
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<h2>Iran War, Trump’s China Meet</h2>



<p>As tensions escalate, a drone strike triggered a fire near the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant. However, no radiation leaks or injuries were reported by authorities. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian officials said the Kingdom intercepted three drones entering from Iraqi airspace.</p>



<p>On the other hand, Iran has proposed managing the Strait of Hormuz through an insurance-based model, according to reports by the country’s official state media.</p>



<p>Trump had earlier shared that Chinese President <strong>Xi Jinping</strong> had agreed that the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened, Reuters reported on Saturday, though Xi has not made any comments on Iran following the meeting.</p>



<p>Trump also said that curbing Iran’s nuclear activities would take precedence over addressing the cost-of-living concerns faced by ordinary Americans. “That’s a perfect statement. I’d make it again,” Trump said, reaffirming his comments.</p>



<h2>Oil And Gas Prices</h2>



<p>Meanwhile, the national average price for a gallon of gas declined slightly to $4.513 on Sunday, according to data collected by the American Automobile Association (AAA). On the diesel front, the current average price hovered around the $5.646/gallon mark. Californians still paid the highest average price, with gas prices over $6.143/gallon.</p>



<p>The <strong>West Texas Intermediate</strong> (WTI) crude was trading at $107.5/barrel at the time of writing this article, while <strong>Brent</strong> crude commanded a price of $111.1/barrel at press time. Oil ETF <strong>United States Oil Fund</strong> (NYSE:USO) that tracks the WTI crude, surged 0.08% to $148.35 during the after-hours trading on Friday.</p>



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<p><em>Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by</em> following this link.</p>



<p><em>Photo courtesy: Shutterstock</em></p>

CRAK

<p>GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan has dismissed predictions of U.S. gas prices reaching $7/gallon amid rising tensions in the Middle East, stating that such a spike is unlikely. He noted that the national average price for gas is currently $4.513, with diesel at $5.646. De Haan's comments follow President Trump's remarks about Iran, which have influenced oil prices. Meanwhile, WTI crude is trading at $107.5/barrel.</p>

- GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan refuted speculation that U.S. gas prices could reach $7/gallon amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.  
- He emphasized that he does not foresee the average gas price exceeding $5/gallon in the upcoming week, despite widespread concerns.  
- Currently, the national average price for gas stands at $4.513, while the average price for diesel is around $5.646/gallon.

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Trump's Iran Comments Send Oil Flying—But This Analyst Says $7 Gas Isn't Happening