Fuel Queues Sweep Belgium Amid Global Oil Crisis

Motorists across Belgium are forming massive queues at gas stations following the sudden announcement of steep fuel price increases driven by stalled US-Iran negotiations. Global market anxieties and the United States’ naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have pushed oil costs higher, abruptly ending a brief period of price relief for European consumers. In response, the Belgian Ministry of Economy raised petroleum price ceilings, sending diesel above 2.22 euros per liter and gasoline to nearly 1.90 euros. Desperate citizens rushed to fill their tanks before the new rates took effect at midnight, causing several local pumps to completely run out of fuel.