BATON ROUGE — Rising tensions involving Iran are beginning to affect drivers in Louisiana as oil prices surge and gas costs climb.

After Iran’s new supreme leader vowed to continue fighting, the price of crude oil spiked above $100 per barrel. The increase is already being felt at the pump in Baton Rouge.

According to AAA, the average price of regular gas in Baton Rouge is now about $3.26 per gallon. On the same day last year, drivers were paying about $2.69.

For drivers like Lauren Primeaux, the rising cost has made something as routine as filling up the tank feel unpredictable.

“I never really know what to expect financially right now, it’s already, like, in general, very inconsistent,” Primeaux said.

Primeaux says she usually spends around $30 to fill her car. Recently, that cost has jumped closer to $45.

“It just goes to show you that the things that happen, not in your own bubble and not like in your backyard, still have really detrimental effects to your lifestyle,” she said.

Just one month ago, crude oil was selling for about $67 per barrel. Now it has surged past $100.

Greg Upton, Director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies, says the sudden spike has been driven largely by geopolitical tensions.

“Over the last two weeks, everything has really fundamentally changed,” Upton said.

One major concern is the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway near Iran where roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes each day. Any disruption to shipments through the route can quickly impact global energy markets.

“Whenever oil stops moving through that strait, or at least slows down significantly, this really, really impacts that global supply chain,” Upton said.

The uncertainty surrounding the conflict can also keep prices elevated for an extended period.

“But the longer that this continues and the more uncertainty there is, the more that risk will be embedded into that price, and the longer that this price increase will be sustained,” Upton added.

AAA reports the statewide average price for regular gasoline in Louisiana is now about $3.23 per gallon, up roughly 70 cents from a month ago. Diesel prices are currently around $4.59 per gallon.

Don Redman with AAA says drivers recently saw a noticeable jump.

“Where we were yesterday versus today, it’s over a 10-cent jump,” Redman said.

He warns the upward trend could continue in the coming months.

“I think that’s going to be the trend for at least the next few months, until everything gets sorted out in the Middle East,” Redman said.

For drivers like Aaron Paul Goings, even small increases can create concern.

“More money is better. You know, when the numbers start going down in the bank account, it's a worry,” Goings said.

AAA says part of the seasonal price increase is tied to refineries switching from a winter gasoline blend to a more expensive summer blend. Prices often rise during the spring because of that change.

However, with the added uncertainty surrounding Iran and global oil supplies, it remains unclear how long higher prices could continue impacting the energy market and drivers’ wallets.