The price of diesel in the United States has reached a record high of $5.85 per gallon (3.9 liters) amid the war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claim that the US is in control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The new record for the national average price, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), was set on Friday, surpassing the previous peak that was recorded in June 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
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Diesel – which is mostly refined from crude oil in the US – is used to power heavy machinery, buses, trains and large trucks. The price hike is expected to increase the transportation and production costs of many products, including groceries.
The new record came weeks ahead of the congressional midterm elections in November as Trump’s Republican Party pushes to retain control of the US Senate and US House of Representatives.
Public opinion polls have shown that the war with Iran remains unpopular with US voters, and the cost of living has emerged as a top electoral issue across the country.
The price of gasoline has also continued to rise in recent days, reaching $4.14 on Friday ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend in the US.
The price is a record high for this time of the year.
“Labor Day weekend travelers are facing the highest gas prices ever for this time of year,” AAA said in a report on Friday. “Continued volatility in the Strait of Hormuz has pushed crude oil prices in the $90 per barrel range. After a record-setting August, this Labor Day weekend is on track to also set a record at the pump. The national average has never been above $4 per gallon on Labor Day.”
A gallon of gasoline was less than $3 before the Trump administration joined Israel in starting the war on Iran.
Tehran responded to the opening US and Israeli strikes in February by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz – a major artery for the global energy trade – sending oil and gas prices soaring.
In recent weeks, Trump and his allies have been arguing that the US military is now in control of the waterway and overseeing the passage of millions of barrels of oil through it.
Trump shared a social media post on Thursday claiming that 18 million barrels of oil are passing through the strait daily, nearly the same amount as the pre-war levels.
US Vice President JD Vance reiterated the same message on Thursday, telling reporters that Iran’s control over Hormuz is “effectively gone”.
“If you go back three months ago, how much oil and gas was coming out of the strait under Iranian threats? It was virtually nothing. Now, it’s almost back to where it was before the conflict even started,” Vance said.
It is difficult to verify the amount of oil passing through the strait because the tankers crossing under US protection turn off their transponders to go undetected by Iranian forces.
Iran, however, has accused the US administration of trying to manipulate the market, insisting that Hormuz is still under Tehran’s control.
Suspected Iranian strikes on ships in the strait have continued almost daily. Earlier this week, an attack on a Saudi tanker killed two sailors.
