Diesel Prices Hit Record $6.57/gal as Grassley Presses Trump on Export Embargo
U.S. diesel keeps setting records amid Iran-war supply disruptions, squeezing farmers, truckers and food prices, and fueling a rare GOP break with Trump.
What to know
- U.S. diesel hit successive all-time records through September, reaching $6.49/gallon nationally (California $8.04) and $6.57 in Iowa, nearly double the year-ago price.
- The spike is tied to Middle East supply disruption from the Iran war, with heavy-crude shortages hitting diesel first before regular gasoline.
- Truckers, farmers and food banks are already straining under fuel costs, and analysts warn food and consumer prices will keep rising as costs pass through supply chains.
- Senator Chuck Grassley has broken with Trump publicly, calling for a diesel export embargo, while the Fed has raised rates again citing inflation pressure partly from fuel costs.
The dispute Some commenters argue truck/rural owners deserve to feel the pain of high fuel costs as a consequence of their choices and politics, while others push back that not everyone driving trucks is wealthy or wasteful and object to being blamed personally. · positions read across 164 posts and comments
The price spike is a straightforward supply-and-demand consequence of heavy-crude supply being choked off by the Iran/Russia conflicts, not a simple political failure.
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“Supply and demand; heavy crude oil is usually from the Middle East and Russia which have been choked off so diesel is skyrocketing first... Why now instead of earlier during the conflict? Because reserves are finally depleting, especially…”
AlohaTrader · Reddit ↗
Trump and Republicans bear responsibility for the crisis and are only now facing consequences from their own base.
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“All of these crises—the price crisis, caused by the oil crisis, caused by the Iran crisis, which has created a military crisis while the country is staggering under a deportation crisis—appear finally to be making some Republicans rethink…”
GuyNamedBrian · Mastodon ↗
People are sharing direct personal or business financial pain from the fuel spike, independent of politics.
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“I was a business owner until last year... the tariffs, rising insurance, higher rent and utilities, coupled with decreased revenues did us in... My savings were exhausted. I'm in personal bankruptcy now.”
CrackingToastGromet · Reddit ↗
Chuck Grassley U.S. Senator (R-Iowa)
Donald Trump U.S. PresidentTom Kloza Oil market analyst (FreightWaves)Joe Quinlan Head of CIO Market Strategy, Merrill/Bank of AmericaFederal Reserve U.S. central bank
How it unfolded 7 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Coverage warns diesel spike is exposing broader economic strain
MarketWatch and other outlets report record diesel prices are exposing pain points across markets and the economy, warning that sustained high prices will keep pushing inflation upward and food prices higher for consumers.
“It's going to be a shitshow in New England this winter for buyers and sellers of heating oil.. Obviously, buyers are about to have the most expensive heating season of all time…”
— A-Bone, Reddit commenter · source -
first by Christian Science Monitor, 5d ago · also The Christian Science Monitor
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first by PennLive, 7d ago · also The Independent
1 more headline
- Diesel and gas prices are spiking and hitting record levels. Experts say it’s going to get worse The Independent · 7d ago
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BREAKING: US diesel prices have hit a new record high of $6.5 per gallon
2 more of the top 3 · 23 posts in this stretch
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🇺🇸 Trump, with gas around $4.48 a gallon: “Gas prices were much higher under Biden.” Sir, the pump is standing right there. Source: @realDonaldTrump / Writer: Oliver
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As if grocery prices weren’t already high enough…Record US # diesel prices squeeze farmers; food prices may rise https://www. reuters.com/business/energy/re cord-us-diesel-prices-squeeze-farmers-food-prices-may-rise-2026-09-18/ # Affordability # economy # food # Groceries # farming # RepublicansDidThis # RepublicansOwnThis # USPol # USpolitics
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Grassley publicly presses Trump for a diesel export embargo
With Iowa diesel at $6.57/gallon, Senator Chuck Grassley calls on President Trump to embargo diesel exports as past presidents did with agricultural products, saying high prices are hurting farm income.
“W diesel $6.57 in Iowa why doesn't Pres Trump put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag products bc food prices were inflated. High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME…”
— @ChuckGrassley -
1 outlet first by Newsweek, 4d ago · read ↗
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W diesel $6.57 in Iowa why doesn’t Pres Trump put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag products bc food prices were inflated. High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME #cornwatch #soybeanwatch
2 more of the top 3 · 9 posts in this stretch
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the surge in gas prices is taking a break so far this weekend with prices holding at average $4.47/gal, but diesel keeps climbing, and is less than 10 cents from beating the 2022 inflation-adjusted peak at $6.49/gal tonight.
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May? Lol come on, its not "may" theyre definitely going to rise aling with the cost of anything that involves the use of heavy equipment or trucking-- which is literally damn near everything...just do the math, its costing a trucker about 2k dollars to fill up because they typically carry about 300G of diesel, and that gets them anywhere from…
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Diesel hits new record $6.49/gal; Fed raises rates again
Diesel sets an all-time record of $6.49/gallon nationally (California at $8.04), nearly doubling year-over-year from $3.71; the Federal Reserve unanimously raises its benchmark rate a quarter point, with strategists citing diesel-driven inflation pressure.
“NEW: U.S. diesel hit an all-time record of $6.49/gallon today, smashing the previous $5.82 record from June 2022.”
— @clashreport -
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Only *now* are they rethinking their support?! 🙄 “All of these crises—the price crisis, caused by the oil crisis, caused by the Iran crisis, which has created a military crisis while the country is staggering under a deportation crisis—appear finally to be making some Republicans rethink their support for Trump and his policies.” # Politics #…
2 more of the top 3 · 11 posts in this stretch
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Can you explain what you mean by what "we did", I guess you mean liberals did? Were we insufficiently hateful toward your preferred out group? By the way there is not one uniform view of the world among liberals even if you think there is. One person's civil rights as a transgender human being respected is another person's crime against humanity…
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September 18, 2026 According to the American Automobile Association, diesel hit its highest recorded average price today at just above $6.44 per gallon. Diesel moves most of the consumer goods in the United States.… https:// heathercoxrichardson.substack. com/p/september-18-2026
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AAA records diesel at $6.44, highest ever
The American Automobile Association records diesel's highest average price yet, just above $6.44/gallon; commentary notes some Republicans appear to be rethinking support for Trump amid compounding price, oil, Iran and deportation crises.
“According to the American Automobile Association, diesel hit its highest recorded average price today at just above $6.44 per gallon.”
— Heather Cox Richardson -
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Tractors! Combines! Potato diggers! Heard of ‘em? They share something in common: they guzzle diesel. New from me and colleagues today for @reuters.com: why record-high diesel prices are very likely to drive food prices higher.
2 more of the top 3 · 29 posts in this stretch
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Ford didn’t directly lobby for the 100% Chinese EV tariff. The Alliance for American Manufacturing pushed for higher tariffs, while the Alliance for Automotive Innovation supported action against subsidized Chinese EVs. Ford is one member of that group alongside GM, Stellantis, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda…
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Get the most important and interesting news from the global economy delivered to your inbox. https:// qz.com/us-gas-prices-iran-war- record-091826?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Business News @ business-news-quartz
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Analysts warn diesel shock will ripple through the economy
With diesel at about $6.39/gallon, CNBC and other outlets detail how the price surge is disconnecting diesel from crude, hitting trucking and rail first before spreading; truckers describe unsustainable costs.
“We can't continue to run like this.”
— Trucker -
1 outlet How record diesel prices will rip through the U.S. economy. Trucks, rails are only the start
first by CNBC, 7d ago
1 more headline
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first by Washington Examiner, 7d ago
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Truckers on skyrocketing diesel prices: "We can't continue to run like this." Semi trucks can carry up to 220 gallons of diesel fuel, which costs $1,320. So if diesel goes up, shipping costs go up with it and inflates the price of everything.
2 more of the top 3 · 66 posts in this stretch
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NEW: Thanks to Trump/GOP's Iran war gas prices are up to $4.43 a gallon. Before war gas was about $2.50. And worse diesel set a a new record today at $6.39 per gallon. That is almost double from pre-war. We need to CRUSH the GOP This November!
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A gallon of diesel fuel in the US now averages $6.40 — a record high, according to AAA. https:// gasprices.
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Diesel jumps to $6.33, squeezing farmers and truckers
Diesel prices break the previous record by about 50 cents, hitting roughly $6.33/gallon; Al Jazeera and Newsweek report farmers, truckers and food banks bearing the financial burden, with Trump blaming the Ukraine war rather than the Iran conflict.
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first by Forbes, 5d ago
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first by ABC News, 6d ago
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“.. Buckle up,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at the price-tracking platform GasBuddy, wrote Wednesday morning. “Gas and diesel look set for a spike over the next 48 hours ..” @washingtonpost.com @gasbuddyguy.bsky.social ⛽️
2 more of the top 3 · 26 posts in this stretch
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“The effects of the U.S.-led war on Iran are about to intensify in the form of huge jumps the prices of gasoline and diesel, analysts predict. And despite the Trump administration’s assurances, a new and potentially even more economically damaging phase of the war may be about to begin.” https://www. washingtonpost.com/world/2026/…
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Then they’ll complain about wolves after getting generous compensation for the cattle they graze on public land
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Diesel prices set first new record, raising inflation fears
Yahoo Finance and the Wall Street Journal report U.S. diesel prices hitting a fresh record high, sparking early warnings about inflation and growth.
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first by CoinDesk, 7d ago · also Daily Wire
1 more headline
- Diesel Prices Hit All-Time High Daily Wire · 7d ago
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first by Reuters, 6d ago
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Washington Post, 7d ago · also The Washington Post
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first by Quartz, 9d ago · also Yahoo Finance
1 more headline
- U.S. Diesel Prices Hit New Record High as Fuel Squeeze Bites Yahoo Finance · 9d ago
and 10 smaller pieces
What people are saying 10 voices from 4 sites · best of 164 · verbatim
- Will the Trump administration actually impose a diesel export embargo as Grassley is requesting?
- How much of the current price surge will pass through to food and consumer prices, and how soon?
- Will trucking shift toward batteries or CNG as a longer-term response to sustained high diesel costs?
- Yesterday
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How is Trumps regime helping people in GAZA? He's best friends with Netanyahu, please. She wouldn't have started this war in the middle east and so wouldn't have destabilised the oil industry or fucked with Iran. She wouldn't have rolled back food regulation so your people wpuld not be dying of contaminated food. She wouldn't have allowed the EPA…
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Because when you cause a war that destroys oil infrastructure and slows down oil movement...the entire market is affected. Tankers being destroyed means slower movement as well. You in the USA import and export oil and related products. Some of your states rely on imported oil. Prices now skyrocket as the entire world competes for less oil. How…
- Sep 17
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The national average for gasoline jumped 7 cents overnight to $4.44 a gallon, according to AAA, up nearly 50% since before the Iran war started in February.
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Trucker on skyrocketing diesel prices: We can't continue to run like this. Semi trucks can carry up to 220 gallons of diesel fuel, which costs $1,320. So if diesel goes up, that's going to mean shipping costs go up.
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In Illinois we literally have a governor who has increased the states credit rating, reduced the states debt, and moved towards a balanced budget. Then we have a guy running against him who says he’s going to get rid of property taxes (not controlled by the governor), eliminate toll roads (where does the replacement money come from?), and he’s…
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Supply and demand; heavy crude oil is usually from the Middle East and Russia which have been choked off so diesel is skyrocketing first. Heavy crude oil yields more diesel than lighter sweet crude, like your regular gas. Regular will eventually catch up especially as tankers, trucks, semis, etc. slow deliveries and/or increase prices of regular…
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“THE WORST STILL TO COME”😕 ⛽️ We’re hearing from elected Republicans in Tennessee privately admitting Trump’s war-caused diesel prices are crushing their people. But when will Republicans speak up publicly? What are y’all afraid of? @MarshaBlackburn Gas prices are about to take a...
- Sep 16
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The only consolation I have is that the people that have voted for this current administration are really going to feel the negative effects of their decision to put this crazy fucking moron in the White House.
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School district transportation budgets will be impacted.
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“Already, American motorists have paid an additional estimated $107 billion in extra gasoline and diesel costs as a result of the war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.” https://www. washingtonpost.com/world/2026/ 09/16/analysts-predict-gas-price-jump-long-disruption-damaged-pipeline/