U.S. officials allege that Paris and Berlin have not fulfilled pledges made in March to release oil stocks to offset supply shocks from the Iran war. The push for releases coincides with U.S. diesel hitting a record $6.53 per gallon last week, five weeks before the November midterm elections. France and Germany hold roughly 35% of the EU's strategic reserves, and the requested 120 million barrel release would exceed 40% of the bloc's total emergency la l gasoline and diesel stocks.
