Group 1: Gas Prices and Global Oil Market - Gas prices have increased by more than 30% in the last month, with the national average reaching $3.88 per gallon, up from $2.93 [1] - The ongoing war in Iran is disrupting global oil supply, leading to higher crude oil prices, which in turn raises gasoline prices [3] - The U.S. is currently a net petroleum exporter, but it still relies on imports of heavy sour crude oil for its refineries, which affects gasoline pricing [4][5] Group 2: U.S. Energy Independence and Infrastructure - U.S. refineries are designed to process heavy sour crude, which is primarily imported, while domestic producers like ConocoPhillips export light sweet crude [5] - Lowering U.S. gasoline prices in the face of rising global oil prices would require significant infrastructure changes and government regulations, which are politically controversial and unlikely to occur [8]