Diesel prices in the U.S. soared past $6 a gallon Friday for the first time ever, and experts predict the costs will fall back on the consumer through steeper prices for everyday staples. The U.S.-Iran war has severely disrupted the flow of oil, with the national average of diesel now $6.06 a gallon according to the American Automobile Association, up from $5.85 last week, as renewed hostilities persist. By comparison, the national average this time last year was around $3.71.
The spike in fuel prices has been driven by higher oil prices. The price of benchmark Brent crude oil, a key ingredient in diesel, spiked to $109 per barrel Thursday, amid widening regional instability. The active hostilities between Washington and Tehran are largely focused on the Strait of Hormuz, but the advances of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis pose fresh risks for the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another key shipping route.
Continued disruption of the Red Sea chokepoint would be “devastating to the global supply of energy,” says Shuting Pomerleau, director of energy and environmental policy at the American Action Forum. A surge in Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries have also significantly impacted production, she adds, bringing daily exports of diesel fuel down significantly compared to last year and therefore pushing up global prices. President Donald Trump told an interviewer this week that he has no regrets over the Iran conflict.
But the majority of Americans appear to disagree, with increased living costs, driven up by the war, proving to be a sticking point ahead of the November midterms. 64% of U.S. adults surveyed in late July said that the conflict with Iran has been “not worth fighting,” according to a poll conducted by the . Furthermore, a /Ipsos survey of American adults conducted between Aug. 21-24 found that 74% of respondents felt their cost of living was moving on the wrong track. The surge in diesel prices has sparked fresh concerns.
While only around 3% of passenger cars on American roads use diesel, it’s relied upon for heavy transport, construction, farming, and military vehicles. Around 75% of all diesel consumption in the U.S. came from the transportation sector in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Pomerleau says that diesel's wider range of performance in terms of efficiency and safety makes it more desirable for heavy vehicles. Higher diesel prices undoubtedly make an impact at the pump. In California, the average price climbed to $7.98 on Friday, the highest average of any state in the country.
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