Trump Signals Possible Request for Europe to Tap Diesel Reserves as Prices Surge Amid Iran War

The White House is weighing whether to formally ask European nations to draw down their emergency diesel stockpiles, President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday, as his administration scrambles to contain fuel costs driven higher by the ongoing war with Iran. Trump said his government "may" make such a request, indicating that no final decision has been reached but that the option remains under active consideration.

The president's remarks came shortly after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly pressed European allies to act without delay. In a social media post, Bessent called on European partners to speed up delivery on commitments they have already made and to make additional supplies available immediately to address what he described as ongoing disruptions in global fuel markets.

Bessent's intervention reflects growing anxiety in Washington over the trajectory of diesel prices, which have become a politically sensitive issue ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. The administration has been searching for tools to cool the market, and releasing strategic reserves held by allied nations is one of the few options that could produce rapid results without directly curtailing US exports.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer added to the pressure campaign, telling reporters that he believed France, Germany and Italy would welcome a cooperative approach with Washington on getting more diesel to market. His comments suggested that the administration views European capitals as willing partners rather than reluctant participants in any coordinated release.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright echoed that optimism, saying he was "highly confident" that Europe could help ease soaring global prices by releasing its emergency diesel inventories. The remarks from three senior officials on the same day amounted to a coordinated push to prepare the ground for a potential formal request.

Across the Atlantic, European governments spent Thursday coordinating their own diesel measures, according to the Reuters news agency. France and Germany together hold more than a third of the European Union's strategic diesel reserves, giving those two countries particular weight in any collective decision about whether and when to release stocks.

Not everyone in Brussels is enthusiastic about the direction of the debate. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said a US ban on diesel exports would be "unexpected," warning that such a move would have detrimental effects on Europe's economy. His comments underscored the tension running beneath the cooperation: Europe is being asked to help ease an American price crisis, even as Washington contemplates restrictions that could hurt European consumers.

That tension has been building for weeks. US diesel prices surged to a record $6.53 per gallon a week ago, a level that has alarmed drivers, trucking companies and farmers who depend on the fuel. Data published by the European Commission showed that 12 EU member states recorded new all-time highs of their own, including Italy, Belgium, Romania and Poland, illustrating that the pain is hardly confined to the United States.

The price spike has prompted the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers to consider restricting US diesel exports ahead of the midterm elections. Such a move would keep more fuel at home, but it would also upend global trade flows and likely inflame relations with allies who are being asked simultaneously to open their own reserves.

The underlying cause of the crisis is the war on Iran, which has disrupted energy markets and raised fears about the security of supply through key chokepoints. A related Al Jazeera analysis published earlier this week examined whether economic pressure is eroding Iran's leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global fuel shipments.

The political stakes for the White House are considerable. A recent Al Jazeera report noted that Trump's approval rating had fallen to a career low of 32 percent amid the Iran war and broader economic fallout, giving the administration a strong incentive to be seen acting decisively on fuel costs.

Thursday's flurry of statements suggests the administration is pursuing a two-track strategy: encouraging allies to release reserves while keeping export restrictions on the table as leverage. Whether Europe responds with speed will depend on how capitals weigh their own domestic price pressures against the risk of emptying stockpiles that exist precisely for emergencies.

For now, no formal request has been made, and no European government has announced a release. But the public pressure from Washington has escalated sharply in a single day, and the coming weeks will reveal whether cooperation or unilateral action defines the next phase of the fuel crisis.