Kuala Lampur, April 2 -- At a gas station in the Washington suburbs, drivers confronted the harsh domestic repercussions of the war on Iran, as spiking fuel prices hit household budgets hard.

Jeanne Williams, 83, had just driven 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Richmond, Virginia, where she was visiting her elder sister.

"That is horrible," she said, stunned by the prices visible on the Liberty gas station's LED board.

"I'm not angry. I'm just bewildered, confused, unhappy," she said. "Because we didn't ask for the war."

On Tuesday, the average US price of a gallon (3.78 litres) of regular gasoline crossed the psychological barrier of US$4.00 (RM16), having increased 35 per cent since the US-Israeli strikes that launched the conflict, ...