Britain at risk of fuel shortages as ministers hold crisis talks about tapping reserves

Oct 2, 2026

Reporting on escalating US-Europe-UK tensions over diesel supply and sanctions, the piece describes Israel accusing Britain of undermining relations after being tipped about an Iran-backed terror plot tied to RAF Fairford. Donald Trump demands Europe release emergency diesel reserves or face reduced US supply, prompting crisis talks and warnings of potential winter exposure. Officials discuss whether Europe will tap stockpiles or pursue a global fuel deal via the IEA amid concerns about pump prices, import dependence, and economic consequences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

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Pages28

Reading Time43 min

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Britain at risk of fuel shortages as ministers hold crisis talks about tapping reserves

Europe diesel reserves and US export threats

Israel allegations and sanctions fallout

cDailyc # TrumptellsEuropetoreleasediesel Israel:Labourhell bent'ondestroying ourrelationship By Tony Diver and Rozina Sabur ISRAEL has accused Britain of being "hell bent"on destroying relations between the two countries,despite having given the Government a tip-off about the RAFFairfordterror plot. Israeli intelligence warned MI5about an imminent Iran-backed attackon the Gloucestershire air base shortlybefore Ed Miliband,the Foreign Secre-tary,announced sanctions on goodsfrom the West Bankon Sept 8. A senior Israeli official told TheTelegraph that the warning relatedspecifically to an attempted attack onRAFFairford,which was realised weekslater,and accused Labour of trying to"destroy"ties with Israel by imposingsanctions. ## Britain at risk of fuel shortages as ministers hold crisis talks about tapping reserves They said"We warned our Britishcounterparts of an imminent Iranianattackon RAFFairford.Thatiswhatalliesdo,and yet theUK Government appearshellbentondestroyingarelationshipthathassavedcountlessBritish lives. night Scott Bessent,the US Treasurysecretary.urged European leaders tomake additionalsupplies of fuel "imme-diately available".He added:“Americanfarmers,truckersandbusinessesshouldnot be left carrying the burden of aglobal dieselshortage." ByJonathan Leake,Connor Stringer and Nick Gutteridge DONALD TRUMP has demanded thatEurope release emergency dieselreserves or risk being cut off from USsupplies. "As Israelstandsstrong againstextrem ism,the UK panders to those within its Britain joinedcrisis talks with Europeanallies yesterday aftertheUS pres-dent threatenedto ban dieselexports toFrance and Germany. The Trump administration is frustrated with France andGermany,believ-ing they have not metearlier pledges torelease emergency oil and petrol sup-plies. ownborders." Benjamin Netanyahu,the Israeli prime minister,told Fox Newsthat Brit· The Trump administration is calling 'We warned Britain of for tens of millions of barrels of fuel to It is unclear whether the UK wouldbe directly included inany threatenedUS export ban.However John Healey.the Chancellor,has said he is taking thethreat "very seriously".while AndyBurnham has vowed to lobby MrTrumpfor anexemption to any ban. an imminent Iranian be unlocked to lower pump prices for attack on RAF Fairford. US motorists. AWhite House official said it was "inEurope's best interest to work with theUnited States",warning that the president was "evaluating all the options onthe table". That is what alliesdo' ain imposed sanctions on Israel"prettymuch the next day"after giving the UKintelligence of a terror plot.He said:"You talked about the thing in Britain.Do you want to hear how absurd thingsare there?And how far the anti-Israelipropaganda hasgone? The UKis understood to have agreedwith European leaders to present aunitedresponse"tothe Trumpadministration.However Andrew Bowie.theshadowenergy secretary,said"Britainis reduced to ringing round Europeabout its diesel because Labour havespent two years waging war on home-grown energy.Labour have spent twoyears taxing the North Sea into declineand refusing new licences,so Britainnow finds itself at the mercy of decl-sions taken abroad:" UK officials held calls with counter-parts inGermany,France,Italy and Ire-land yesterday morning to discuss thepossibility of tapping fuel stockpiles. Maros Sefcovic,the EU trade chief,warned that a US diesel ban would“have very dramatic consequences forour economic performance".However,leaders resisted pressure to tap theirreserves and insteadcalled for a globaldealon fuel. "We gave the Brits the intel,thatthere wasgoing to bean attack,andit'sanIranian-sponsoredattack,and prettymuch the next day they slap sanctionson us.It's wild,the caving in,the col-lapse before the Islamist-Marxist alli-anceis very dangerousfor the future ofthe West." Officials are concerned that releasing Europe is hoping to defuse tensionsby deferrin

FAQs

What demand does Donald Trump make regarding Europe’s diesel reserves?

Trump demands Europe release emergency diesel reserves or risk being cut off from US supplies. The threat follows frustration with France and Germany over earlier pledges to release fuel.

Why does the UK face heightened risk of diesel shortages?

The UK imports about 55% of its diesel, roughly a third from the US. If US supplies were restricted, pump prices could rise quickly and shortages could follow.

How is the RAF Fairford terror plot connected to the UK-Israel dispute?

Israel says it provided the UK with intelligence about an Iran-backed attack, then accused Labour of trying to “destroy” ties with Israel by imposing sanctions. Israel points to a timeline where sanctions followed soon after the warning.

Oct 2, 2026

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