Macron's Gulf tour targets fuel security after French protests

French President Emmanuel Macron began a Gulf tour on Monday to secure oil and diesel supplies and lower prices, following a weekend of violent protests in France over soaring living costs. He arrived in Kuwait after condemning the country's "unbridled" violence. Macron will visit the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar by Wednesday to strengthen economic and defense partnerships amid the US-Iran war. Over 2,500 people were arrested in some of France's worst violence in years, with town halls and shops looted, though he refused his interior minister's resignation. The trip aims to secure fuel commitments, with TotalEnergies and Engie executives accompanying Macron. Experts doubt immediate price impacts, as Gulf states await regional stabilization, while France and Britain work on demining operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.