European foreign ministers in Istanbul urge US and Israel not to resume attacks on Iran, citing oil price concerns

Foreign ministers from eight European and Middle Eastern countries, meeting in Istanbul, have called on the United States and Israel not to resume attacks on Iran, warning that renewed conflict could expand the crisis across the region and push oil prices even higher, according to a report by Patrick Wintour in The Guardian. The formation of what the newspaper described as a multinational "anti-war bloc" has gained importance as Tehran's nuclear negotiations remain deadlocked and signs of willingness in Washington and Tel Aviv to resume military actions are visible.

The development comes after months in which European countries accompanied US policies against Iran. Some European governments provided facilities and military or logistical support to the US, participating in a process that increased pressure on Iran. Now those same countries are warning about the expansion of the crisis and its economic consequences, as rising energy costs have made them more aware of the real dimensions of the confrontation. European governments face a contradictory result: accompanying military pressure against Iran has been combined with concern about the consequences of that same pressure for the European economy.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key variable in security and economic equations. The strategic waterway is the passage route for an important part of global oil and gas trade, and any serious disruption in the transit of energy-carrying ships can shock global markets. The rise in oil prices, growth in transportation costs, and increase in petroleum product prices can quickly be transferred to the economies of energy-importing countries. Iran, due to its geographical position and strategic capacities, is an important part of global energy security equations. The possibility of disruption in energy transit through the Strait of Hormuz, even without the scenario of the waterway being closed, can affect market expectations and governments' calculations. The closure of the Strait is not a certain and inevitable consequence, but ignoring the risks arising from the intensification of confrontation around it would also not be realistic.

For European countries, the issue is doubly important. Rising oil and fuel prices do not only raise the cost of energy supply; they can also increase production costs in factories, the transportation of goods and services, and the provision of households' daily needs. Under such circumstances, inflationary pressure intensifies, and European industries may face greater difficulty in competing with producers in other regions. The consequences of the crisis go beyond foreign relations and become a direct issue in the lives of citizens and the performance of European economies. The concern of European countries cannot be considered merely a diplomatic position; it reflects the collision of political calculations with economic and geopolitical realities. Accompanying Washington may have political or security considerations for some European governments, but this accompaniment does not mean immunity from the consequences of America's decisions. When the crisis expands, Washington's allies may also face costs in which they had no determining role in the initial decision-making and whose effects they cannot easily prevent.

The position taken by the foreign ministers of eight countries in Istanbul shows that concern about the expansion of the crisis has become one of the serious considerations in relations among the countries of the region and Europe. However, opposition to the resumption of military actions does not necessarily mean a fundamental change in the policy of these countries toward Iran; perhaps concern about economic and security costs has driven them to adopt such a position more than any other factor. Nevertheless, this concern also shows that the continuation of the confrontation can create divisions even among America's allies and increase the political costs of Washington's decisions. European governments must learn from the current experience that their energy security and economic stability are not separate from developments in the Middle East, and that military policies can create unforeseen consequences for their own supporters. According to Mehr News, the fundamental question remains why the economic and security consequences of this path were not given the place they have today in the calculations of European countries before accompanying military actions against Iran.