Global oil: Iran closing Strait of Hormuz will be ‘extremely dangerous’ — EU

The European Union (EU) top diplomat has warned that any attempt by Iran to shut the Strait of Hormuz would carry global consequences, as tensions rise following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

“Concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday, speaking to reporters in Brussels where EU foreign ministers held talks focused heavily on the Iran-Israel conflict.

“Especially the closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody,” she warned.

Analysts say Iran could retaliate against the US strikes by shutting the narrow waterway, a vital global oil corridor through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil output flows. Such a move would threaten energy markets and risk a broader conflict.

In response to the rising threat, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on China to pressure Tehran, citing China’s deep reliance on oil passing through the strait.

The EU has consistently urged restraint since Washington joined Israel’s military campaign by targeting Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend.

“Ministers are very much focused on the diplomatic solution,” Kallas emphasized, adding that the EU remains committed to engaging with Iran to avoid further escalation.

She noted that European officials—alongside top diplomats from France, Germany, and Britain—met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva last Friday and plan to continue pursuing diplomatic outreach.

“There has to be a diplomatic solution,” Kallas said. “When Iran is willing to talk to us. I think we have to use this opportunity.”

On Sunday, France, Germany, and Britain jointly urged Iran “not to take any further action that could destabilise the region.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, also speaking in Brussels, stressed the need for diplomacy and ruled out military approaches to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“There is no lasting military solution to this problem,” Barrot said. “Only negotiations can enable us to place long-term limits on Iran’s nuclear programme.”

“Europe can bring its experience, its competence, its fine knowledge of these questions to open a space for negotiations,” he added.

Barrot also rejected any notion of forcibly changing Iran’s government.

“We reject any attempt to bring about regime change by force,” he said, warning it would be “illusory and dangerous” to believe this could be accomplished with “bombs,” he said.

As diplomatic efforts continue, Europe is positioning itself as a mediator, warning all parties against actions that could trigger a wider conflict and destabilize the global energy supply.

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