Gasoline prices also set a new record over the Labor Day weekend ahead of the crucial midterm elections in November.
Published September 4, 2026
U.S. diesel prices have hit a record high of $5.85 a gallon amid the war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that the U.S. is in control of the Strait of Hormuz.
A new record for the national average price was set on Friday, surpassing the previous high set in June 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
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Diesel is primarily refined from crude oil in the United States and is used to power heavy machinery, buses, trains, and large trucks. Price increases are expected to increase transportation and production costs for many products, including food products.
The new record was reached just weeks before November’s midterm congressional elections, as President Trump’s Republicans seek to maintain a majority in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Polls show the war with Iran remains unpopular with American voters, and the cost of living has emerged as a top election issue across the country.
Gasoline prices have also continued to rise in recent days, reaching $4.14 on Friday ahead of the Labor Day holiday in the United States.
Prices are at an all-time high for this period.
“Labor Day weekend travelers are facing record gas prices for this time of year,” AAA said in a report Friday. “Continuing volatile conditions in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed oil prices into the $90s per barrel range. After a record-setting August, this Labor Day weekend is on pace to set another all-time record at the pump. The national Labor Day average has never exceeded $4 per gallon.”
Before the Trump administration teamed up with Israel to launch a war against Iran, a gallon of gas cost less than $3.
Iran’s government responded to the U.S. and Israeli offensive that began in February by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a major artery of global energy trade, and sending oil and gas prices soaring.
In recent weeks, President Trump and his allies have claimed that the U.S. military now controls the waterway and oversees the passage of millions of barrels of oil.
President Trump on Thursday shared a social media post claiming that 18 million barrels of oil are passing through the Strait each day, about the same amount as pre-war levels.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance echoed the same message on Thursday, telling reporters that Iranian control over Hormuz was “virtually gone.”
“If you go back three months, how much oil and gas was coming out of the Strait under the threat of Iran? It was virtually zero. Now we’re almost back to where we were before the conflict started,” Vance said.
It is difficult to confirm how much oil is passing through the strait because tankers sailing under U.S. protection have their transponders turned off to avoid detection by Iranian forces.
But Iran insists Hormuz remains under Tehran’s control and accuses the US administration of trying to manipulate the market.
Suspected Iranian attacks on ships in the strait continue on an almost daily basis. Earlier this week, a Saudi tanker was attacked, killing two sailors.
On Wednesday, the US president proposed changing the name of Hormuz to Trump Strait. He also previously said the waterway would become U.S. territory.
