Map Shows Diesel Prices in Each State as Average Passes $6

Diesel prices in the United States soared past $6 per gallon on Friday, hitting a new all-time high as the continuing conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt the world’s oil supply.

The national average diesel price was $6.05 on September 11, according to the latest data by the American Automobile Association (AAA), up from $5.85 last week and $3.70 a year ago. Compared to the days just before the Iran war started on February 28, it was up by more than $2 per gallon.

That is an even bigger increase than American drivers have faced for gas since the start of the conflict. As of Friday, the national average gas price was $4.29 per gallon, up from $2.98 in late February, before the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran.

"Every truck, every delivery, every package, every grocery run just got more expensive. The cost of moving everything in America just hit a record," Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, wrote on X on Friday.

Diesel is used to power many commercial vehicles, including freight and delivery trucks, as well as trains, agricultural equipment, and construction machinery. And some businesses facing higher costs as a result of these increases have already passed on this additional pressure to consumers in the form of added fees.

Rising diesel prices could have "broad inflationary consequences," according to Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial. "Higher fuel costs can increase agricultural production expenses, place upward pressure on freight rates and transportation costs, and raise heating bills," he said in a statement shared with Newsweek.

The highest diesel prices in the nation on Friday were reported in California, where the fuel cost an average of $7.98 per gallon. Next came Washington ($7.05), Hawaii ($7), Oregon ($6.41) and Nevada ($6.38). The lowest averages were paid by drivers in Oklahoma ($5.60), Missouri ($5.65), Louisiana ($5.65), Mississippi ($5.67) and Texas ($5.67).

"Not every day are new all-time records set, and this will be a particularly painful one for the economy that may not even be immediately felt, but record diesel prices will impact every cargo, shipment, every delivery Americans are taking, and are likely to reignite inflation up and down the supply chain," De Haan said in a statement on Friday. "And for now, it comes at a time of year when diesel prices also traditionally rise, adding more pain. I suggest Americans anticipate a costlier holiday season, as it appears diesel prices could continue climbing as geopolitical tensions continue to remain a main factor."

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Newsweek: "President Trump remains committed to unleashing American energy dominance, cutting costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families."

She continued: "Last week, the President met with nearly a dozen refiners to discuss ways to expand our refining capacity, which will lower prices at the pump. As the U.S. continues to maintain full control of the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices will fall back to preconflict levels."

The ongoing war in Iran has effectively put a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway which normally permits the transit of one fifth of the world’s supply of oil. Dramatically diminished traffic through the strait and attacks on transiting vessels from Tehran have fueled fears of supply shortages, making crude oil prices surge.

As of Friday, Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at more than $105 a barrel, up from about $70 before the start of the conflict.

Energy prices have risen all across the world and across the country, with diesel being hit harder than gas as it depends heavily on refinery output and global freight markets.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which started in February 2022, is also exacerbating the current disruptions and bringing the price of diesel even higher.

"Global refining capacity has been significantly constrained by attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, as well as damage and export bottlenecks affecting Middle Eastern refiners," Turnquist said. "Russia’s July 8 ban on diesel exports further increased the supply-risk premium, given its position as one of the world’s largest diesel exporters."

Restrictions on Chinese fuel exports imposed by the Trump administration are also tightening the current diesel supply, pushing prices up.

U.S. refiners have increased utilization rates—equal to the percentage of total operable refining capacity that is actively processing crude oil into petroleum products—to help fill the global supply gap, according to Turnquist.

"As a result, diesel exports have climbed to near-record weekly levels, contributing to a drawdown in domestic inventories ahead of the seasonal increase in demand," he said. "Unfortunately, these structural supply constraints cannot be resolved quickly. Years of underinvestment have limited new refining capacity, while Russia’s diesel export ban could be extended through year-end following recent drone attacks on its refineries."

Higher gas and diesel prices have pushed up the cost of living in the U.S. over the past few months, forcing Americans to pay significantly more than they did before the Iran war.

At the same time, Trump’s approval rating has plunged since late February, for a net approval of -19.5 as of Thursday, according to Nate Silver. As of February 24, 56 percent of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the presidency; on Thursday, that figure had grown to 58.1 percent.

This drop in the president’s popularity suggests that rising diesel prices, especially if they translate into higher grocery costs, could become an issue for Republicans in the November midterms. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released in late August found that 36 percent of voters thought Democrats had a better approach for handling the cost of living than Republicans, which were picked by only 28 percent of respondents. The poll was conducted between August 21-24 among 951 registered voters. The margin of error was 3.3 percentage points.

For months, Trump has minimized the impact of the war in Iran on Americans and has insisted that prices will come down as soon as the conflict is over. This week, he admitted that "it’s going to take a little bit longer than the midterms" for gas prices to come down, as he told reporters while en route to Dallas.

But he added: "Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward."

In response to Trump's statement, De Haan wrote on X, "Even then I don't see any guarantees at all of that happening."

"We usually see some limited seasonal drops as U.S. gasoline demand fades into the autumn and we change next week to winter gasoline, but that relief is in question and can be offset by new or continued escalations in each of the two major tensions: new escalations between the U.S. and Iran prolonging the Strait shutdown and continued Ukraine attacks on Russia's oil refineries, limiting Russia's ability to export fuels," De Haan later told Newsweek.

Contact Newsweek editors for this story: John Fitzpatrick and Anthony Murray.