EU calls for permanent Hormuz navigation freedom

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has publicly called for restoring "full and permanent freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as an "urgent, shared priority." Her statement represents the European Union's most direct intervention yet in the ongoing tensions over the strategic waterway, where a U.S. naval blockade against Iran remains in effect. The EU position contrasts with Iran's recent declarations about controlling transit through the strait and comes amid conflicting reports about actual shipping conditions. Von der Leyen's comments signal European concern about the economic and security implications of prolonged disruption to one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints.