Diesel crack spreads

Iran war pushes diesel – the economy’s lifeblood – to record high prices, with no relief on the horizon

<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/760249/original/file-20260916-50-6bf50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&rect=0%2C0%2C5000%2C3333&q=45&auto=format&w=1050&h=700&fit=crop" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Diesel fuel prices are at all-time highs in the United States.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sign-displays-the-prices-of-regular-gasoline-and-diesel-at-news-photo/2294723764">Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Diesel fuel prices in the U.S. continue to break all-time records, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/">hitting $6.28 a gallon</a> as a national average on Sept. 14, 2026, and they aren’t likely to come down anytime soon. Because diesel is the fuel for freight transportation, farming and construction – and is related to a key heating fuel – the effects are set to spread across the entire U.S. economy.</p