The European Commission (EC) will hold the first meeting of a dedicated energy task force this week to assess the impact of military action in the Middle East on the EU market. This was announced in a statement after a meeting of the EC Security College.
„In the energy sector, the Commission is closely monitoring both price developments and the supply situation and, together with EU member states, will convene an energy task force in cooperation with the International Energy Agency, with the first meeting taking place this week“, the document says. Brussels stresses that these are preventive measures aimed at minimizing the risks of price volatility and possible disruptions in energy supplies.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were hit. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats allegedly coming from Tehran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a major operation in response, attacking targets in Israel. American targets in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia were also hit. The strikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other key figures in the Islamic Republic's leadership.