BRUSSELS, Thursday, March 5, 2026 (WNP): The European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held an extraordinary meeting in Brussels on Thursday to address the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accusing Iran of attempting to widen the war across the region.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Kallas said the EU and Gulf ministers were discussing urgent measures to stabilise the situation and protect civilians as tensions intensify across multiple fronts.

“Iran is exporting the war, trying to expand it to as many countries as they can to sow chaos,” Kallas said, stressing that the EU and regional partners were focused on maintaining stability and preventing further escalation.

The emergency talks brought together foreign ministers from the 27-nation EU bloc and representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council, amid growing fears that the conflict could disrupt global trade routes and energy markets.

Kallas said the immediate priority for European governments was ensuring the safety of EU nationals currently in the Middle East. She confirmed that EU countries were coordinating consular services and evacuation plans to assist citizens leaving areas affected by the conflict.

“We are organising the response and coordinating consular services to get our people out of the region,” she said.

The EU also expressed serious concern about the security of key maritime routes in the Gulf, particularly around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil shipments passes.

Kallas said European naval forces had already been deployed to the region under missions including Operation Atalanta and Operation ASPIDES to help protect international shipping lanes.

“The security of the Strait of Hormuz and the trade routes is extremely important for the European Union and for the Gulf countries,” she said.

The EU foreign policy chief also warned that the same type of drones used in Russia’s war against Ukraine were now appearing in the Middle East conflict.

Kallas said Ukraine had developed advanced drone interception systems and could share expertise with Gulf states facing similar attacks.

“We see the same drones attacking Kyiv every day now also attacking the Middle East,” she said, suggesting that technological cooperation could help regional partners defend against drone strikes.

According to Kallas, the conflict could have ripple effects far beyond the Middle East. She noted that increased demand for air-defence systems in the region might affect supplies to Ukraine, while rising oil prices could benefit Vladimir Putin’s government by boosting revenues used to finance Russia’s war.

Asked about the possibility of political upheaval in Iran, Kallas said that while the Iranian leadership had been weakened by the conflict, regime change historically tends to come from internal dynamics rather than external military pressure.

“Usually regimes tremble from inside, not from attacks from outside,” she said, adding that there were risks of internal unrest or civil conflict depending on how the situation evolves.

The EU is also monitoring the potential for increased migration toward Europe if the conflict continues. Kallas said no major refugee flows had been recorded so far but warned that prolonged instability could create pressure on European borders.

Despite the growing tensions, she emphasised that diplomacy remained essential.

“Wars end in diplomacy,” Kallas said. “There has to be room for diplomacy to get out of this cycle of escalation.”

EU and GCC officials are expected to release a joint statement after the meeting outlining possible areas of cooperation, including maritime security, civilian protection and regional stability.