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Nazrin Abdul

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European Union member states must be ready for potential long-term disruptions in energy supplies due to the ongoing conflict in Iran, EU Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jorgensen has warned in a letter to ministers of the bloc, AzerNEWS reports.

Although the current impact on Europe’s energy supply remains under control, Jorgensen stressed that governments should take timely measures to prepare for any prolonged interruptions.

The warning comes against the backdrop of renewed tensions over Iran’s nuclear program. Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the P5+1 group, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231, suspending previous sanctions and limiting Iran’s nuclear activities.

However, after the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, Iran gradually abandoned some of the plan’s restrictions, drawing international concern. By September 28, 2025, UN sanctions against Iran were reinstated.

According to a May 2025 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has stockpiled 9,247 kilograms of enriched uranium, including 408 kilograms enriched above 60%.

Despite multiple negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over the nuclear program, no concrete agreement was reached, and tensions escalated. Since February 28, 2026, the U.S. and Israel have carried out airstrikes against Iranian targets, prompting Iran to respond with missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. military sites in the region. The conflict has since spread across several countries in the Middle East.

The escalation has placed the region’s energy infrastructure and maritime transport at serious risk. Heightened security tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have driven global oil prices sharply higher, with Iran maintaining strict control over which vessels may pass through the strategic waterway.

The EU is now being urged to develop contingency plans to mitigate potential disruptions in energy supplies amid the ongoing regional instability.