Protests over surging fuel prices entered their third day in southern France on Thursday as fishermen blockaded ports and oil terminals. Demonstrators in the Hérault and Alpes-Maritimes regions prevented tanker trucks from accessing depots and obstructed maritime traffic with boats.

Rising diesel costs, which exceeded €2.37 per liter, stem from disruptions in global oil supplies linked to the Iran war and Yemeni civil war. The price sits just one cent below the all-time high recorded in France.

Fishermen in Sète and Nice deployed vessels to block harbor entrances, forcing some ferries to reroute. Others burned tires and pallets at sites including Frontignan to halt access to fuel supplies. Similar actions occurred at Fos-sur-Mer.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced expanded subsidies for affected sectors, raising support to the maximum permitted under EU rules through the end of the year. The measures failed to end the demonstrations, which resumed the following day.

President Emmanuel Macron directed the government to address the cost-of-living pressures and scheduled an emergency G7 meeting. Broader participation from farmers, construction workers, and other groups has raised concerns of wider unrest reminiscent of earlier Yellow Vests actions, with social media calls circulating for larger protests on October 17.

The blockades have disrupted supply chains and highlighted vulnerabilities in France's energy-dependent industries amid the ongoing international conflicts.