San Francisco Diesel Tops $8/Gallon in US Record

San Francisco has become the first U.S. city to see average diesel prices exceed $8 per gallon, a record high reached on Saturday amid escalating global energy disruptions from the war in Iran. The surge, reported by fuel tracking service GasBuddy, underscores California's unique vulnerabilities in the fuel market, where prices have doubled in just one month.

Statewide, diesel averaged $7.67 per gallon on Sunday, according to the American Automobile Association, up from $3.90 a gallon on March 2. In Los Angeles County, prices hit $7.68 on Thursday, while national diesel stood at $5.58 per gallon, with regular gasoline at $4.10. The rapid increase in California contrasts with stabilizing or declining prices elsewhere in the country, where the U.S. Energy Information Administration noted only a 2.6-cent national rise last week.

The spike stems from the U.S.-led conflict with Iran, which began on February 28 and has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil shipments. This has disrupted supplies from major producers in the Middle East, causing crude oil prices to fluctuate wildly. California, which lacks direct fuel pipelines from other states and relies on...