Consumer prices in the United States rose by 3.3 percent over the past year and by 0.9 percent in March, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is the highest inflation rate increase in nearly four years, driven by rising energy costs related to the U.S. military operation in Iran. Fuel oil prices increased by 30.7 percent and the cost of gasoline by 21.2 percent. The increase coincided with joint U.K.-Israeli strikes on Tehran and Iranian counterstrikes in the Gulf region, which effectively halted the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. The White House dismissed the latest increase as short-term disruptions, stating that the American economy remains on a solid trajectory.