--- description: “We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait,” the leaders said in a joint statement. title: Europe and Japan Ready to Join Efforts to Secure Strait of Hormuz as Energy Prices Surge Amid Iran War image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt79e19f4a89598fcd/69bbf8b1ae4776b608f967bb/Macron_and_Merz.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Iran](/tag/iran/) ## Iran Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Europe and Japan Ready to Join Efforts to Secure Strait of Hormuz as Energy Prices Surge Amid Iran War  by [Tiago Ventura](/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 19, 2026 7:02 PM CUT  France's President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrive for a summit at the E.U. headquarters in Brussels, on March 19, 2026. France's President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrive for a summit at the E.U. headquarters in Brussels, on March 19, 2026.John Thys—Getty Images  by [Tiago Ventura](/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 19, 2026 7:02 PM CUT Leaders from Europe and Japan joined forces Thursday in an effort to secure the[ Strait of Hormuz](https://time.com/article/2026/03/17/what-is-the-strait-of-hormuz-global-trade-oil-flow-iran-war/ "undefined") so that global trade can once more journey through the vital passage. The announcement came amid rising concerns over the turbulent market, with European natural gas prices having[ jumped by 60%](https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/eu-natural-gas/news/533413 "undefined") since the start of the Iran war. In a joint[ statement](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-from-the-leaders-of-the-united-kingdom-france-germany-italy-the-netherlands-and-japan-on-the-strait-of-hormuz-19-march-2026 "undefined"), leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan expressed a "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait" and welcomed "the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning." The leaders condemned “in the strongest terms” the attacks Iran has made on commercial vessels alongside oil and gas facilities and emphasized that “maritime security and freedom of navigation” benefits all countries. Citing the U.N.[ Security Council Resolution 2817](https://press.un.org/en/2026/sc16315.doc.htm "undefined"), they called for Iran to immediately cease its ongoing threats to global trade and put forth their intention to intervene. The respective leaders celebrated the International Energy Agency's[ decision](https://www.iea.org/news/iea-member-countries-to-carry-out-largest-ever-oil-stock-release-amid-market-disruptions-from-middle-east-conflict "undefined") to authorize a coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves and vowed to “take other steps to stabilise energy markets, including working with certain producing nations to increase output.” The European allies, alongside Japan, are also set to “provide support for the most affected nations, including through the United Nations and the IFIs (International Financial Institutions).” The pledge came after oil and gas prices[ soared](https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/eu-natural-gas "undefined") significantly overnight due to an escalation in the conflict. In retaliation for Israel striking Iran's South Pars gas field, which it shares with Qatar, on Wednesday, Iran targeted Qatar’s liquefied natural gas facilities overnight, causing what officials[ described](https://x.com/qatarenergy/status/2034449492590653505 "undefined") as “extensive” damage. The site in question, Ras Laffan Industrial City, serves as Qatar’s main LNG hub, and is a critical supplier for global heating, power generation, and cooking—any further attack on the facility could gravely impact energy security across Europe. President Donald Trump, who stated the U.S. had no prior knowledge of Israel’s attack on South Pars, condemned Iran’s response and warned of a major escalation, should the targeting of Qatar’s energy infrastructure continue. He[ threatened](https://time.com/article/2026/03/19/trump-israel-attack-south-pars-gas-field/ "undefined") the U.S. will “massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before” if any further attacks take place. In Brussels, meanwhile, E.U. leaders gathered again Thursday to discuss relief options for the ongoing energy crisis. In its published [conclusions](https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/03/19/european-council-conclusions-on-middle-east/ "undefined") from the summit, the European Council called for "a moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities." Urging the need for "de-escalation and maximum restraint," the council heralded "the importance of concerted action to help partners strengthen counter-drone and air defence capabilities." It especially welcomed Ukraine’s "readiness to provide support and expertise in air defence and counter-drone systems to Gulf countries"—a topic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about earlier in the week [during an address to the U.K. parliament](https://time.com/article/2026/03/17/zelensky-united-kingdom-speech-iran-russia-war-defense-efforts/ "undefined"). Addressing the severe disruption caused by Iran's blockage of the Strait, the E.U. leadership condemned "any acts that threaten navigation or prevent vessels from entering and exiting" the vital passage and urged that the freedom of navigation be respected. Without detailing a specific plan, the council said it "stands ready to contribute to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and to bring about a lasting solution to end the hostilities." It reiterated that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weaponry. The chaos unfolding in the Middle East has been discussed at various sessions in Brussels this past week. E.U. Foreign Ministers met on Monday to consider "how to better protect shipping in the region." They debated a potential expansion of the Aspides mission—an E.U. naval operation launched in 2024 in the Red Sea as a response to Houthi attacks on international shipping—but ultimately decided against it. Ahead of the most recent summit, Kaja Kallas, the European Commission's high representative for foreign affairs, renewed efforts to distance Europe from the conflict, telling reporters: "Member states do not have an appetite to go to this war." Amid the ongoing discourse between E.U. representatives, European Council president António Costa is approaching the crisis as an opportunity to rethink the bloc’s energy strategy. "The current conflict in Iran shows once again that the best way to have a predictable and reliable horizon on our energy is to increase the home-grown production of energy," he said. "This is the only way to become autonomous, independent, and secure our energy system. For this, we need to pursue our energy transition, and this is our main task." 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