Foreign ministers from the European Union and Gulf states will hold virtual talks on Thursday to address the escalating war in the Middle East, officials said Tuesday.
The videoconference, convened by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, comes as violence continues to spread across the region following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf has been targeted in retaliatory attacks, alongside US military facilities. The strategic Strait of Hormuz — a key global energy transit corridor — has effectively been closed after Iran launched counter-strikes, raising fears of severe disruptions to global oil supplies.
The 27-member EU bloc has so far remained largely on the sidelines of the fighting, focusing instead on managing the broader fallout. European governments have concentrated on evacuating nationals stranded in affected areas and monitoring the impact of surging energy prices.
Brussels is also closely watching for any potential rise in refugee flows from the region, although officials say there are currently no indications of a large-scale exodus.
The emergency talks are expected to centre on de-escalation efforts, regional stability, and the protection of critical energy infrastructure as the conflict threatens to destabilise the wider Middle East.
