BRUSSELS, March 19. /TASS/. EU leaders are expressing concern about the situation in the European Union’s energy sector ahead of the EU summit, where the topic is expected to be one of the main ones, the European Politico edition reported, citing sources.

At the same time, officials claim that the current crisis, which arose due to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, is similar to the one in 2022, but the situation now is not as critical due to the diversified supplies of energy resources.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit.

On March 11, a spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces’ Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters announced that Iran would not allow any oil cargo related to the United States or its allies to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.