(Radio Iowa) – If the U-S doesn’t buy oil from Iran, why is it costing more daily for Iowans to fill their gas tanks? Some of us are grumbling about greedy oil companies using Operation Epic Fury as an excuse to raise prices at the pump, but one industry expert says there’s a lot more to the situation.

“Iran is a key player in the oil market, and obviously, as we’re seeing, any disruption to its oil infrastructure or the region has consequences,” according to Triple-A-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner. He says in our global market, a shortfall in one nation can drastically impact supply and prices elsewhere, and that’s what we’re seeing now in Iowa.

“The U.S. doesn’t import oil from Iran, but China and India do,” Ortner says. “The Strait of Hormuz is seeing delays, or in some areas, is blocked off. That could send a ripple effect throughout the world, even in countries that don’t rely on oil from the Middle East.”

Triple-A says gasoline prices in Iowa are averaging two-98 a gallon, which has risen 36-cents in the past week. The national average is three-25.