European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will hold talks with Gulf state leaders on March 9 regarding the escalating Middle East conflict, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.

According to them, European countries are "concerned about the possible consequences" of the US-Israeli military operation against Iran, including rising energy prices, the risk of increased migration flows, and the situation of EU citizens stranded in the region. As the agency notes, Brussels "found itself indirectly drawn into the conflict" after the British military base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was attacked by drones on March 2. Against this backdrop, EU authorities cancelled several planned March meetings in Cyprus, which currently holds the EU Council presidency and is located near the conflict zone. France, Italy, and Greece have also agreed to coordinate possible arms deliveries to Cyprus.

On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran, striking major Iranian cities, including Tehran. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats allegedly emanating from Tehran. The IRGC announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, attacking targets in Israel as well as US facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Seyyed Khamenei and several other key figures in the Islamic Republic's leadership were killed in the strikes on Iran.