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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is causing serious damage and that restoring freedom of navigation is of “paramount importance,” while also warning that there can be no stability in the Middle East or the Gulf as long as Lebanon remains “in flames.”
Speaking to reporters in Brussels after a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, von der Leyen linked the closure of the vital waterway to rising economic pressure in Europe and renewed calls for an end to hostilities in Lebanon.
“The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is greatly damaging, and the restoration of the freedom of navigation is of paramount importance for us,” she said.
She also said the crisis had underscored a broader security reality in the region.
“A key lesson of the past weeks is that security is indivisible. You cannot have stability in the Middle East or the Gulf while Lebanon is in flames. So, we call on all parties to respect the sovereignty of Lebanon and to implement a complete cessation of hostilities,” von der Leyen said at a press conference.
Von der Leyen said the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had sharply increased the European Union’s fossil fuel import costs.
“Since the beginning of the conflict, 44 days ago, our bill for fossil fuel imports has increased by over 22 billion euros ($25.71 billion). 44 days, 22 billion euros, not a single molecule of energy in addition,” she said.
She said the European Union was working on measures to ease the impact on consumers, with those steps set to be discussed by E.U. leaders at a meeting in Cyprus next week.
At the same time, von der Leyen and other EU officials are using the crisis to push for a faster shift toward renewable energy, including quicker electrification and faster investment in grids and batteries.
“We need to scale up the homegrown, affordable, reliable energy,” she said. “They give us independence, predictability and energy security.”
Von der Leyen said there could be no regional stability while Lebanon continued to face Israeli bombardment.
She said continued strikes on Lebanon threatened to derail the wider diplomatic process and called for all parties to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Her remarks framed Lebanon not as a separate issue but as part of the wider crisis affecting both the Middle East and the Gulf.
Von der Leyen also thanked Pakistan for what she described as its “important role” in mediating talks between the United States and Iran over the weekend.
But she warned that the continuing attacks on Lebanon risked undermining those efforts and the broader push for de-escalation.
Her comments came as EU officials sought to address both the immediate economic impact of the crisis and its wider effect on regional stability.
Von der Leyen’s remarks combined the EU’s diplomatic message on the Middle East with its growing focus on energy security at home.
She said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had become a major concern for Europe because of its direct economic consequences and because freedom of navigation through the waterway is essential.
At the same time, she argued that the crisis had reinforced the case for accelerating Europe’s transition to domestic renewable energy sources, presenting that shift as a way to reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
With EU leaders due to meet in Cyprus next week, the bloc is expected to discuss both consumer relief measures and longer-term energy steps as the conflict continues to affect trade, fuel costs and regional stability.
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