Iran's Ghalibaf mocks soaring US fuel prices with Simpsons clip

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf has mocked soaring fuel prices in the United States by sharing a clip from the animated comedy series The Simpsons.

Ghalibaf shared the clip in response to a Bloomberg report about a fuel station in San Diego, California, selling diesel for $9.99 a gallon.

The clip shows The Simpsons cartoon character Homer Simpson filling his car with fuel as the price numbers on the pump continue to rise. The display eventually fills with zeros, prompting Homer to celebrate what he believes is free fuel, before realising the pump's display cannot accommodate the remaining digits because of the high price.

Bloomberg reported that an employee at the Shell station in San Diego's Serra Mesa neighbourhood confirmed the $9.99 diesel price on Friday, adding that fuel remained available. The station's price is an outlier in the San Diego area, but Bloomberg said it illustrates a wider diesel crisis affecting global supply chains and pushing US prices to record levels.

California's average diesel price rose above $8 a gallon on Friday, according to the American Automobile Association, while the national US average exceeded $6 a gallon for the first time.

Oil and fuel prices have surged amid disruption to global energy supplies caused by the war with Iran, which has repeatedly affected commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil exports.

Renewed attacks on vessels in the strait and on Saudi oil infrastructure pushed Brent crude above $107 a barrel on Monday.

https://t.co/ixB2cCm8aF pic.twitter.com/3RZodIRaZW

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) September 13, 2026

US diesel stockpiles on the West Coast are at their lowest seasonal level since 1998, while benchmark futures were trading near $5 a gallon, Bloomberg reported.

The rising costs have put pressure on US businesses that rely heavily on diesel, including trucking, construction and other industries. One California moving company told Bloomberg that its monthly fuel bill for an all-diesel fleet had almost doubled from around $8,200 in August 2025 to $16,000 in August 2026.

California already has among the highest fuel costs in the US because of limited fuel pipeline infrastructure, reduced refining capacity and high state fuel taxes.