Temecula drivers are paying nearly $6 a gallon for regular gasoline after Riverside County's average price climbed for the 27th consecutive day.

The county average rose 1.6 cents Monday, Sept. 14, to $5.935 per gallon, its highest level since May 29, according to figures from AAA and the Oil Price Information Service cited by Patch. The price has jumped 41.5 cents over the 27-day streak and is $1.369 higher than the same date a year ago.

The surge traces to one event: the joint U.S./Israel military operation against Iran that began Feb. 28. Since that date, the Riverside County average has climbed $1.384, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Doug Shupe, media and public relations manager for the Automobile Club of Southern California, said in a statement released Friday, Sept. 11, that "oil prices are now near or over $100 a barrel due to continued supply concerns related to the Middle East conflict, and that has pushed up pump prices locally and nationally."

The gap between Riverside County and the rest of the country is wide. The national average stood at $4.316 on Monday, Sept. 14, a full $1.62 less than the county figure. Nationally, prices rose for the 14th time in 15 days.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the national average is at its highest level this late in the calendar year. AAA noted that prices are rising during a season when gasoline demand and costs usually fall.

De Haan titled his Monday fuel-price update on X "No Relief in Sight." In a separate statement reported by Benzinga around Sept. 11, De Haan said Americans were paying $700 million per day more for gasoline and diesel combined compared to a year ago, adding up to roughly $5 billion per week. Record diesel prices, he said, are likely to push inflation higher across the supply chain ahead of the holiday season.

President Donald Trump said oil prices driven up by the Iran conflict are unlikely to fall until after the midterm elections, the Press Enterprise reported Sept. 9. Trump authorized the release of 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) earlier in 2026, but prices have continued to climb, according to The Independent. The SPR stood at approximately 285.4 million barrels as of the week of Sept. 9.

The $5.935 figure is the Riverside County average. Individual station prices in Temecula may vary. AAA and GasBuddy update fuel-price data daily.