The U.S. average diesel price reached an all-time high of $6.5107 per gallon on Sept. 21, 2026, according to AAA data, increasing costs for farmers, logistics companies and independent truckers during harvest season. Economist Steve Hanke said fuel expenses were up $11 per acre for corn and $7 per acre for soybeans from a year earlier, while diesel-driven bankruptcies threatened independent trucking firms. The rally followed weekend meetings in Muscat, Oman, between U.S. officials and Houthi representatives. Commodity strategist Giacomo Prandelli said the Houthis offered safe passage to U.S. and commercial vessels but excluded Saudi shipping, while Saudi Arabia's crude export routes remained compromised. Strait of Hormuz traffic fell to four vessels Monday from a pre-war average of roughly 125, and the East-West Pipeline to Yanbu remained offline after a Sept. 10 drone attack. Energy Secretary Chris Wright expects the pipeline to return in days, though trading estimates cited by Prandelli extend to eight weeks. Alternative crude grades sought by European refiners, Asian diesel margins above $87 a barrel and record New York diesel futures underscored the market's supply constraints. Brent crude was last quoted at $101.60 per barrel, while WTI traded at $93.04. U.S. equity indexes remained higher year to date, and major index-tracking ETFs posted mixed Friday closes and Monday premarket gains.