Candidates in the race to be governor of California are calling for a temporary suspension of the 88-cent state gasoline tax to counteract rising fuel prices in Southern California.

In Los Angeles County, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is $5.56, while that in some areas prices have increased by more than 50 cents since February, when the war between the United States and Israel against Iran broke out.

The proposal to lift the tax, the highest in the US, comes as some analysts predict that prices could reach $7 per gallon.