No relief in sight for U.S. drivers as gas and diesel prices surge

September 17, 2026 / 4:25 PM EDT / CBS News

Gasoline and diesel prices continued to surge on Thursday, with energy experts warning that those costs are likely to climb in the days ahead amid festering geopolitical conflicts overseas.

"Consumers should plan on higher prices for longer," said Patrick De Haan, a petroleum expert at GasBuddy, which tracks U.S. fuel prices.

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. Diesel, essential for transporting food and other goods around the U.S., hit a record $6.40, up 77 cents since the beginning of September.

De Haan projects that gas could hit $4.50 a gallon later this week, citing GasBuddy data, which put the national average at $4.46 a gallon. Ongoing fighting in U.S.-Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars, which have crimped global oil supply, "increase the likelihood of further increases," he said.

De Haan said diesel could hit $6.60 a gallon as early as this weekend. A handful of states have already exceeded that benchmark, including California, where diesel costs an average of $8.35 a gallon, according to AAA.

Some motorists respond to higher gas…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/