Von der Leyen: Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is absolutely crucial for the EU

Brussels, April 13 (ČTK correspondent) - Restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is of utmost importance, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. The Middle East cannot be stable while Lebanon is in flames, she added. At an extraordinary meeting of the EU executive today, commissioners discussed the impacts of the conflict in Iran and the surrounding region. They agreed that all measures EU member states are taking to reduce energy prices must be coordinated.

Iran has been blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global shipments, especially of oil and natural gas, since early March in retaliation for Israeli-US strikes on its territory, despite the current ceasefire. In addition, following the collapse of weekend peace talks, the US Navy is also planning to begin blocking Iranian ports this afternoon CEST.

"The conflict, now in its 44th day, has increased the EU's fossil fuel import costs by 22 billion euros (about 536 billion Kč). This shows the enormous impact on the EU economy," von der Leyen told reporters today.

According to her, the European Commission plans to present a proposal next week at an informal EU summit in Cyprus setting out measures that would be important to adopt. These will include immediate measures as well as longer-term and structural ones, she added.

Before the war, launched by the US and Israel on February 28 with strikes on Iran, about one-fifth of global oil supplies and one-third of liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through the Strait of Hormuz. A significant share of fertilizer supplies and large volumes of other goods also passed through the area. Since the conflict began, however, Iran has effectively blocked free passage through the strait in retaliation, using threats and several attacks on ships, and has apparently also mined the waterway. Very few ships are now passing through the strait, despite the two-week ceasefire that came into effect last Wednesday. Talks between the US and Iran mediated by Pakistan over the weekend failed to produce an agreement to permanently end the fighting.

"The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz is causing significant damage, and restoring freedom of navigation is absolutely crucial for us," the European Commission president said today.

She said the Commission was also concerned that continued attacks on Lebanon could derail the entire ongoing peace process. The EU executive is putting together funding for the people of Lebanon, but according to von der Leyen, no aid can replace lasting peace. "The key lesson from recent weeks is that security is indivisible. You cannot have stability in the Middle East, or in the Persian Gulf, while Lebanon is in flames," she added.