European Union

Rutte also said "more and more" European nations were pre-positioning assets such as minehunters and minesweepers close to the Gulf to be ready for a "next phase".

The EU called for any future funding to the PA to be conditional on the removal of ”antisemitic content, incitement to violence and the glorification of martyrdom and jihad” from textbooks.

Protests erupted in Barcelona after Israel intercepted the Gaza-bound flotilla, which also led Spain to summon Israel's chargé d'affaires, Dana Erlich, in response to the detentions.

Tusk spoke on the occasion of an informal EU summit in Cyprus where EU leaders will also discuss the war in the Middle East, energy measures in response and the Union's next long-term budget.

Russian news agencies quoted a statement by diplomats at Russia's mission to the European Union as saying the measures were meaningless without a decision from the UN Security Council.

Cyprus is physically close to Israel and Lebanon and has close ties with Israel and Greece, with Cyprus-based PhileNews noting that “Thursday’s working dinner centers on geopolitical developments."

The EU plans to cut electricity taxes and coordinate gas storage efforts to mitigate the energy fallout from the Iran conflict, without major market interventions.

The European Commission is due to present a broader package of energy and transport measures, with the EU's transport chief noting no signs of "widespread [flight] cancellations" in the near future.

"A Government that violates international law and, therefore, the principles and values of the EU cannot be our partner," Sanchez wrote

Baghaei was responding to an X/Twitter post by Kaja Kallas, who had written that "Under international law, transit through waterways like the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free of charge."