Most of the people who track the ups and downs of gasoline prices are saying pump prices are on the way up as long as there's a conflict between the US & Israel and Iran -- but few willing to say just how much.
It depends on how long the attacks from both sides continue and whether shipping lanes remain open, according to financial expert Conway Gittens, founder of One Hit Git Media LLC, who keeps track of gas prices.
There's already one big complication: Iran has effectively shut off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the transportation corridor off the Iran coast that moves roughly 20% of the oil going to world markets.
"Right now we can expect a ten- to thirty-cent rise in the price of gasoline at the pump," he says, "because typically the price of gasoline moves in tandem with oil prices and we have seen a spike in oil prices the past few days amounting to several dollars a barrel.
"The question is how long will this incursion linger? And it's not just the fighting, that's one problem, but shipping corridors like the Strait of Hormz."
Should the Strait or other such areas around the Persian Gulf be truly and officially closed off, prices could continue to go up, he adds.
"That's going to cause an upward spike in oil prices, and that will result in a spike in gasoline prices."
None of this is good news for consumers already burdened by high electricity, food, and car repair prices.
Add higher gasoline prices into the mix, and you'll then "add into that high grocery prices, add into that what's happening with your insurance rates and you can see how that presents a problem for the consumer," Mr. Gittens says.
So the longer the conflict continues, though, the more dangerous it could be for the economy and for consumers.
There is already a huge slowdown in natural gas production in the Persian Gulf because QatarEnergy, a major supplier, shut down it's production of liquid natural gas (LNG) because of some of its facilities were attacked.
The bad news is the long-run effect of higher energy prices can be inflation, economic slowdowns and continually higher prices even in the face of that inflation.
But the good news is if President Donald Trump sticks to his word and the conflict ends within a few weeks, there should be little damage to the economy and the price of gasoline could go down again, according to oil analysts.