California Diesel Pumps ‘Maxxed Out’ at $9.999 as US Prices Hit Record High, Analyst Says

Diesel prices at some California gas stations hit the pump-display maximum of $9.999 per gallon on Thursday as tensions escalate in the Middle East amid the U.S.-Iran war and uncertainty over the movement of crude oil out of the region.

Five California Gas Stations Hit $9.999 Diesel Pump-Display Limit

According to a post on X shared by GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan, five gas stations in California were “selling diesel at the dispensers highest possible price: $9.999/gal,” saying that prices have “maxxed out” at those stations.

In a separate post, De Haan shared the rising fuel bills for ordinary Americans, saying that daily fuel bills were running “$700 million per day higher than a year ago,” which added up to $5 billion per week, De Haan said, pointing to $6/gallon diesel and $4.2/gallon gasoline prices.

GasBuddy also released a statement, in which De Haan said that the impact of these hikes may not immediately be felt, but “record diesel prices will impact every cargo, shipment, every delivery Americans are taking, and are likely to reignite inflation up and down the supply chain,” adding that a “costlier” holiday season could be on the horizon.

According to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average price of diesel on Thursday was $5.9773/gallon, with the average price of diesel in California at $7.9114/gallon. U.S. Diesel futures contracts ending in October 2026 crossed $5 on Thursday, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Iran War Updates

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis captured the port city of Mocha amid rising tensions with Saudi Arabia, while unverified reports also say that the group has struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, which has a capacity of 7 million barrels of oil per day amid uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier, President Donald Trump claimed that the U.S. had struck nine Iranian oil vessels, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had struck two U.S. vessels, which the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) denied.

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