European Union President Von Der Leyen Says Situation In Middle East Is ‘Extremely Serious’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for “de-escalation and maximum restraint” in the war in the Middle East. During a news conference in Brussels just after midnight on Friday, von der Leyen said: “The situation in the region is extremely serious. It is causing great instability, suffering and growing risks far beyond the region itself.” She also condemned “reckless attacks” on infrastructure and unarmed commercial vessels” that she said raised energy costs. Iran intensified its attacks on oil and gas facilities around the Gulf on Thursday in retaliation for an Israeli attack on a key Iranian gas field, dramatically raising the stakes in a war that is sending shock waves through the global economy. Leaders of the bloc’s 27 nations called for a moratorium on strikes on energy and water infrastructure in the Middle East and for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz during a summit in Brussels. They also asked for Iran to stop striking neighbors across the Persian Gulf, sought international cooperation to prevent any large-scale refugee crisis in the Middle East and said some EU nations are exploring ways “to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” European leaders have deflected entreaties from U.S. President Donald Trump to join the fight, but they have also fiercely criticized the Iranian government.