How Europe might help re-opening Strait of Hormuz, after the ‘hot war’
Sole military options are proving inadequate to re-open the Strait. Strategic thinking on diplomatic solutions are needed. The EU’s experience and leadership could be key.
Iran
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Europe’s far-right is divided on the Iran war — that’s an opportunity for the political centre
The far-right’s unity unravels when the debate shifts from domestic grievances on migration and climate-change denial to foreign policy. Nowhere is this clearer than in their response to the US-Israeli war of choice in Iran. Far-right parties across Europe are divided – both internally and among themselves – over how to respond to the US-Israeli war of choice in Iran – and so are their voters.
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Iran war effect: boost for solar panels, US buyers turn to electric cars, but EU car sales may drop
European industry faces a difficult year, but for some companies there may be an exception: these are mainly suppliers and installers of solar systems.
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How Iran war exposes Europe’s dangerous dependency on fertilisers
Roughly a third of the world’s fertiliser exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint now blocked by Iran in response to being attacked. Within days of the latest escalation, fertiliser prices surged, with urea (a nitrogen-based fertiliser) jumping sharply across global markets.
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Macron seeks Ramadan ceasefire, as EU leaders say no to Trump on Iran
“As the [Middle East] region enters a period of religious holidays, I think everyone should calm down and the fighting should stop,” said French president Macron in Brussels.
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Cyprus looks to EU joint-defence, amid Nato split on Iran
“We … gave flesh and bones to the [EU’s] mutual assistance clause,” Cypriot president said, after France and others sent warships to protect the island, which is a member of the EU but not Nato.
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US war spending in Iran could have saved 87 million lives, says UN
“The US alone has already spent more money on this conflict in the last two and a half weeks than the $23bn (€19.9bn) I need to save 87 million lives this year,” said Tom Fletcher, a senior official at the United Nations.
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Who’s actually running EU foreign policy: von der Leyen, Kallas or Costa?
Ursula von der Leyen’s flurry of diplomacy after the US-Israel strikes on Iran is very hard to ignore. In the span of one day, she had conversations with eight foreign leaders, as well as with three EU countries — greatly overdoing communications by both the president of the European Council (António Costa) and the high representative (Kaja Kallas). Here’s why this is seen as highly controversial, or even problematic, within the EU institutional system.
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Listen: Why Europe won’t blindly follow Donald Trump’s call to secure the Strait of Hormuz?
Trump pressures allies as tensions rise over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran restricts oil flows and prices surge. Europe resists Nato involvement, urging caution and clarity while weighing limited action. Will the EU support US calls or chart its own course amid escalating geopolitical stakes and fragile energy security?
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No EU appetite for Trump demand on Hormuz help, as Israel pounds Lebanon
“First of all, we want to hear from Israel and the United States of America when they want to achieve their military goals in Iran,” said Germany, while also calling for Israeli restraint in Lebanon.
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Iran war to hit Europe directly and indirectly, von der Leyen warns
“Although for now, the conflict has not translated into immediate migratory flows towards the EU, what the future holds remains unclear,” says European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
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Despite growing opposition, closing the UK military bases in Cyprus would not be easy
Cypriots have long felt that — far from providing protection from the tribulations of their geographical neighbourhood —the existence of two British sovereign base areas on the island effectively placed a target on the back of Cyprus and therefore of Cypriots.
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THIS WEEK: EU summit on Iran war and support for Kyiv, plus Slovenia election and ‘EU Inc’ top agenda
All 27 EU leaders meet on Thursday in Brussels to discuss Ukraine support, energy prices, security risks from the Iran war and competitiveness. At the start of the week, foreign affairs ministers will address Iran sanctions, maritime security and Lebanon. Also this week, the EU commission will unveil its “EU Inc” proposal, while MEPs are expected to finally vote on the US-EU trade deal from July. Slovenia has national elections on Sunday.
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EU governments face ‘no immediate concerns’ on oil supply amid record emergency release
The EU’s bodies on oil and gas supply held meetings on Thursday morning following the International Energy Agency’s decision to open access to 400m barrels of reserves.
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Russian fossil-fuel daily revenues up 14% since start of US-Israel attack on Iran
Russia has earned an estimated €6bn in fossil-fuel, or €510m per day, since the attacks on Iran, according to a new analysis published on Thursday.
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Iran expert sees alarming abundance of bad scenarios, including civil war
Mojtaba Khamenei’s election as Iran’s new supreme leader signals a hardline turn, stronger Revolutionary Guards, and rising risk of civil conflict. Experts warn his ascension marks the dynastisation of the Islamic Republic, exposing contradictions at the heart of the regime. “There is an alarming abundance of negative scenarios,” says Iranist Lenka Hrabalová.
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Listen: Which European countries are sending forces to the Middle East?
Some EU member states have defence agreements with Gulf countries, requiring mutual assistance in case of attack. That’s why several EU countries have announced military deployments to the region, including France and the Netherlands. But what is the scale of European forces sent to the region?
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The Iran war is good news for the Kremlin
Calls to lift oil-related sanctions imposed on Russia to limit its war budget are now also being heard in the EU. Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán has already urged the EU “to review and lift all sanctions on Russian energy”. And he may not be the only EU leader thinking along similar lines.
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Oil-price surge exposes lack of unified energy approach in EU
Europe’s reaction to Monday’s oil-price surge was far from unified, with some officials calling for a faster shift to clean energy, while others said boosting oil and gas supplies offered the quickest path to easing a potential energy shock from the US-Israeli war on Iran.
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France to lead EU naval mission to protect Strait of Hormuz tankers after ‘hot phase’ of Iran war
“We are establishing a purely defensive and supportive mission … which will allow, once the hottest phase of the conflict is over, escorting container ships and tankers [through Hormuz],” said French president Emmanuel Macron in Cyprus on Monday.