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Monday, 2 November 2026dailybeirut.com
Economy
French President Emmanuel Macron labeled domestic fuel prices “unbearable” following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent naval blockades, as diesel hit €2.30/liter and gasoline €2.20/liter—up 30% on average from pre-crisis levels.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared fuel prices in France “unbearable” amid surging costs linked to naval blockades triggered by the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
In a post on the social media platform X, published after meetings with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, Macron stated: “Naval blockades have direct consequences on our daily lives. The French are feeling them at fuel stations, where prices have become unbearable.”
Against this backdrop, Macron and the other leaders emphasized the need to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The previous day, Macron had instructed the French government to deploy all necessary efforts to resolve the national fuel crisis.
On 11 September, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure acknowledged that petroleum product prices “will remain high for a long time.” Diesel prices exceeded €2.30 per liter across the country, while gasoline surpassed €2.20 per liter—averaging approximately 30% higher than pre-crisis levels. In certain service stations, prices approached €3.00 per liter.
U.S. and Israeli military strikes against targets in Iran began on 28 February. Iran responded with its own counterstrikes. As of the date of publication, the conflict remains unresolved.
The escalation has nearly halted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global conduit for oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas. This disruption contributed to a broad-based rise in global fuel prices, pushing Brent crude past $109 per barrel.
