US retail diesel prices topped $6.50 a gallon for the first time, extending a war-driven rally that's rippling through the economy. Average nationwide prices rose to $6.505 as of Saturday, according to the American Automobile Association. The pace of increases has accelerated in September — gaining more than 87 cents so far this month — with prices rising almost every day and surging beyond the peak set in 2022.

A driver refuels a tractor trailer with diesel fuel at a Chevron truck stop in Tracy, California.