Agencies |Brussels/Washington:
The European Union has pushed back against US pressure to release emergency diesel reserves as fuel prices surge amid disruptions linked to the war with Iran, with an EU official saying the bloc “fully rejects” the US demand. The issue comes as European governments weigh measures to ease pressure on fuel markets while preserving reserves against potential supply disruptions.
The US administration has pressured European countries to draw down emergency diesel inventories, with Washington also considering restrictions on diesel exports as domestic fuel prices rise. European officials are separately discussing possible measures involving strategic fuel stocks.
In Yemen, government forces reported a fresh escalation against Houthi positions. Army spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili said government forces struck what he described as “high-value targets” in the capital Sanaa and carried out 20 airstrikes in Taiz governorate.
According to the Yemeni military, the strikes targeted Houthi personnel, movements, reinforcements, gatherings, vehicles and military equipment across several areas of Taiz. The Houthis had not immediately commented on the reported strikes.
Tensions also intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route, after a 2.5-million-barrel supertanker was hit by an unidentified projectile while transiting the waterway, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency.
The impact caused a fire aboard the vessel. Initial reports said the crew was safe, while the extent of the damage and the identity of the vessel were not immediately disclosed by UKMTO.
The incident adds to growing concerns over commercial shipping and energy supplies as the wider conflict continues to affect regional maritime traffic.
In Israel, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Central Elections Committee’s decisions to disqualify two Arab electoral lists from contesting the upcoming parliamentary election.
The court ruled that the evidence presented to the election committee did not meet the legal threshold required to bar the lists from participating. The rulings allow the Joint List and Ra’am (United Arab List) to contest the election.
The court’s decision came amid separate proceedings involving Arab political figures and lists ahead of the Knesset election scheduled for October 27. Arab party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh, whose case was also before the court, subsequently withdrew from the election race.
