Petrol soars to new Iran War high as diesel rockets by 17p in one month – and experts warn the misery is far from over

THE price of petrol has reached a new Iran war high as it soared to 161.66p over the weekend. Meanwhile, diesel has rocketed by 17p in one month, with the cost of filling your car hitting £100 once again in a blow to drivers. RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “The price of petrol appears to have finally reached an Iran War peak, having risen 11p over 33 consecutive days. “A litre of unleaded hit a high of 161.66p at the weekend and has now reduced very slightly to an average of 161.46p. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! He added: “Diesel, which has rocketed 17p since 9 July, has also stopped going up for now, having reached 182p (181.92p). “Fortunately, this is still almost 10p below its conflict high of 191.54p.” Fuel prices have soared since the Iran conflict began, pushing up the wholesale cost of oil globally. A litre of petrol cost just 132.83p on the day the conflict broke out, while diesel cost 142.38p a litre. Prices fell to a low in June 2026 following the announcement of a ceasefire, but renewed conflict in the region in recent weeks has sent oil and fuel prices soaring again. Simon also warned that the misery may be far from over for Britain’s drivers. Most read in Money “While prices should fall a little in the coming days, this may be short-lived as the cost of a barrel of oil has climbed almost $10 in the last week towards $90. “The current situation shows just how volatile fuel prices are and how drivers in the UK are at the mercy of global events,” he added. Comment now