Metro Detroiters are paying much more for gasoline than they did a few days ago.  The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in metro Detroit is $3.19 today—that’s up 6 cents from Tuesday, and 21 cents from a week ago.  

The war in Iran has dramatically pushed up the price of crude oil in the days since the U.S. and Israel first bombed Iran on Saturday.  And when the price of crude oil rises, the price of gasoline—which is made from crude oil—also rises.  Gas stations are also starting their annual change to the summer blend of fuel, which is more expensive. 

To save a little extra gas, remember to make sure your tires are at the proper air pressure, accelerate smoothly and avoid jack-rabbit starts and stops.  Take that extra junk out of your trunk so you’re not carrying excess weight and don’t buy premium gasoline unless your vehicle’s manufacturer requires it. 

Additional headlines from Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Whitsett not running for re-election 

State Representative Karen Whitsett says she’s not running for re-election this year.  The Detroit Democrat tells Gongwer News Service that her decision was based on her faith.  

Whitsett has missed several months of service in the State House.  She lost a primary for Detroit City Council last August.  Whitsett had caused political controversy during her term in office, often supporting Republican legislation.  

She says she will not run for any other political office in the future. 

Heidelberg Archives to be stored at Reuther Library 

The Heidelberg Project says it has begun a partnership with the Walter Reuther Library to store its archives.  

A news release says the collection includes planning files, photographs and organizational records among other material.  All of it will be permanently stored at the library, which is located on Wayne State University’s campus.  

The internationally-recognized art installation was founded in Detroit’s McDougall-Hunt neighborhood in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton. 

Cade Cunningham named Player of the Month 

Detroit Piston Cade Cunningham has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month for February.   Cunningham averaged 25.4 points and 9.9 assists per game.  He was the top pick in the 2021 NBA draft. 

Knuckles traded to Houston 

The Detroit Lions traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.  

Montgomery became a fan favorite—nicknamed Knuckles—after joining the Lions as a free agent in 2023.  He and Jahmyr Gibbs formed one of the best running back duos in the NFL.  But Montgomery’s productivity dipped last year as Gibbs got more opportunities to run the ball.  

As a result of the trade, Detroit received offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick from Houston.  The Lions also freed up more than $3 million in salary cap space. 

The team missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2022.  They finished with a record of nine wins and eight losses. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The war in Iran is contributing to higher fuel prices in the United States.

GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick DeHaan, says prices were already going up before the U.S. and Israel started bombing Iran. He says the prospect of war added to the increases.

“The president had alluded to potentially dealing with Iran before the attacks,” DeHaan says. “So, oil prices had already been working on pricing in the risk of said attack.”

But war was not the only factor.

“Much of the country has already started to transition back toward cleaner, more expensive summer gasoline,” DeHaan says. “Refineries are starting maintenance before the summer driving season.”

He also says demand us rising as students hit the road for spring break and warmer temperatures return.

GasBuddy’s daily price index shows the average price in Michigan before the war was a bit less than $3 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas. By March 4, it had risen to $3.21. 

Michigan prices work differently

DeHaan says daily prices in Michigan don’t go up or down based solely on market factors.

“What happens in Michigan is prices usually make a big jump, then trickle down for a matter of several days until stations have no more room to lower prices,” he says. “Then they jump back up again.”

Commuters aren’t the only ones paying more. Diesel fuel prices are up, too. DeHaan says a drone attack on a large diesel refinery in Saudi Arabia could cause prices to rise more dramatically than that of gasoline.

“It may climb another $0.40 to $0.80 a gallon over the next several weeks,” he says. “That will impact truckers very quickly as stations start to adjust their prices.”

Dire straits? Not yet

DeHaan is also watching the situation in the Persian Gulf, where Iran has threatened attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

“That’s extremely problematic because 20% to 25% of the world’s daily oil supply needs to flow through the strait,” he says. “Until that is solved, oil prices may continue to move higher, along with gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other prices.”

But DeHaan says consumers should not panic. He does not expect historic oil or gasoline prices.

“Americans have seen far more significant spikes and far higher prices before,” he says.

GasBuddy tracks prices at more than 1,700 gas stations in metro Detroit and updates them in real time every five minutes.

The United States has a long history of deciding what Iranians want. Saturday, it happened again.

Without Congressional authorization, President Trump and Israel launched strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader and hundreds of civilians, including as many as 165 children at a girls’ elementary school. Trump says he is giving Iranians a chance at freedom. But 92 million people live in Iran, and reducing them to a single story is something the United States has done before, with devastating consequences.

Saeed Khan, associate professor of Near Eastern Studies at Wayne State University, specializes in the politics and history of the Middle East. He joined Robyn Vincent to discuss the history the U.S. tends to ignore and the costs of reducing Iranians to a single story.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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