Iran War Shocks Supply, US Refineries Accelerate Full Capacity Production According to a report by Golden Finance, on May 15th, due to the Iran War cutting off energy supplies to the Persian Gulf, American refineries are intensifying fuel production to fill the supply gap of gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. Analysts say that this rapid growth trend is expected to enable many refineries to reach their effective maximum capacity for at least the remainder of 2026. The reduction in reserve crude oil supply in Europe and other regions, coupled with the difficulty of restoring post-war infrastructure in the Middle East in the short term, is driving up crude oil processing profit margins. Analysts say that this rapid growth trend is expected to enable many refineries to reach their effective maximum capacity for at least the remainder of 2026. According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, the so-called "capacity utilization rate" has been climbing for three consecutive weeks and is currently close to 92%. In recent weeks, gasoline production has reached its highest level in nine months, while aviation fuel production has reached its highest level since the summer of 2024.