What drivers pay for gasoline starts with the price of crude oil. U.S. Energy Information Administration data, via Alpha Vantage, put Brent crude at $115.22 a barrel on Oct. 20, 2026. That is down 8.4% from $125.78 a barrel on Oct. 13. On Sunday, Oct. 25, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted new Houthi missiles and drones.
What changed and why
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it intercepted two drones and a ballistic missile headed for Riyadh. It also intercepted 10 ballistic missiles aimed at the kingdom’s southern region and a cruise missile headed for Khamis Mushait. The figures come from coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki, as quoted by the Saudi Press Agency and reported by CNBC. The Iran-aligned Houthis said on Telegram that they carried out seven operations with ballistic missiles and drones. They said their targets included Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu, as well as other airports and energy installations. The airport suspended operations on Oct. 10 following a strike that CNBC reported killed at least 13 people and injured around 300. It resumed operations on Sunday. According to CNBC, the fighting helped drive Brent to a six-month high on Friday, Oct. 23. CNBC also pointed to remarks by President Trump suggesting the United States and Israel are planning fresh strikes on Iran after Nov. 3.
Follow the money
The chain runs in steps. First, the event: repeated Houthi strikes on Saudi energy and transport sites. Second, the supply-risk question: attacks aimed at Aramco facilities can raise concern among oil traders even when the weapons are intercepted. Third, the benchmark: the EIA reading shows Brent at $115.22 on Oct. 20, down 8.4% from $125.78 on Oct. 13. That was a decline over that week. CNBC’s report of a six-month high on Oct. 23 covers a later date than the EIA figure. Read the two as snapshots from different days, not as contradicting numbers. The source gives no pump-price figure, so it cannot say by itself what happens at a US gas station.
Our math: $10.56 a barrel is about 25 cents a gallon
One barrel holds 42 US gallons. Take the EIA’s $10.56 drop (from $125.78 to $115.22) and divide it by 42. The result is about 25.1 cents less in the crude-oil cost of each gallon between Oct. 13 and Oct. 20, 2026. For a household filling a 15-gallon tank, multiply 25.1 cents by 15 gallons. That gives about $3.77 less in crude cost per fill-up. This illustrates the crude component only. Refining, distribution, taxes and local competition also shape the pump price, and the source does not measure retail prices. Any later moves, such as the six-month high CNBC reported for Oct. 23, would change this math.
This week and what to watch
Before assuming the pump price has moved, check the current retail gasoline price where you fill up. Crude and pump prices do not always move together or on the same day. Watch for any confirmation of the US-Israel strikes on Iran that CNBC reported Trump referenced for after Nov. 3. Also watch whether Riyadh’s King Khalid airport keeps operating normally after Sunday’s resumption. Source: CNBC, citing the Saudi Press Agency; EIA data via Alpha Vantage. Disclaimer: This analysis is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice.
