France Warns Europe: Fuel Shortages Begin at Gas Stations

France has alerted Europe to a growing fuel shortage, with 15% of its gas stations out of diesel or gasoline. The situation has worsened in just a few days, affecting around 1,500 service stations.

## Fuel Shortage in France

The fuel supply situation in **France** has deteriorated rapidly. Around **1,500 gas stations** have informed the government that they are out of diesel or gasoline. This represents approximately **15%** of the total **10,000 service stations** operating in the country. Last week, the figure for stations with supply problems was between 7% and 9%, indicating a significant worsening in a short period. The price of diesel in **Europe** recently hit a historic peak, reaching **2.39 euros per liter**.

## Factors Complicating Supply

Several factors are contributing to this shortage. A marked decrease in tanker traffic through the **Strait of Hormuz** has reduced crude oil availability. Added to this is the complete shutdown of the **East-West pipeline** in **Saudi Arabia**. The oil company **Saudi Aramco** has informed its European clients that it cannot fulfill the full contracted crude oil volumes, which will lead to the cancellation of some planned deliveries. Meanwhile, continuous Ukrainian drone attacks on major Russian refineries have forced **Russia** to restrict its diesel exports to prioritize its domestic market supply.