On 16 and 17 October 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, the Arab countries in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meet in Kuwait, where they announce an embargo on oil supplies to states that support Israel and a 25 % reduction in output. Oil therefore becomes an international weapon that is brandished against Israel and its allies. These measures and the fivefold increase in the price of a barrel of oil have a severe impact on Western economies, which depend strongly on oil supplies. Although the embargo does not apply to France, some petrol stations, such as this one in Lille on 30 November 1973, run short of fuel and are forced to close.