By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BRUSSELS (Worthy News) – The European Union held its first summit with the Gulf states on Wednesday amid mounting Middle East tensions and as the bloc struggles to receive global support in efforts to isolate Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
The summit, which lasted just a few hours, included issues ranging from visas and trade to the situation in the Middle East, where Israel says it fights at some seven fronts for its existence.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, listed the battlegrounds as Iran, Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Shia militants in Iraq, militant groups in Syria as well as Palestinian fighters in the West Bank.
Officials said the EU also raised human rights issues with their visitors, who included Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The United States, United Nationa, and others say aides of Prince Mohammed and other Saudi officials killed U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose columns for The Washington Post newspaper criticized the crown prince.
The prince has denied that he ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi or had prior knowledge about it but says he bears all responsibility for the killing.
‘LONG OVERDUE’
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the summit was “long overdue” and added that “the economic ties between the European Union and the Gulf countries need to be strengthened.”
“They are there, but they have the potential to be developed much, much further,” he said.
The EU also attempted to convince the Gulf States to help it isolate Russia, as its war with Ukraine is believed to have killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people.
To pressure Iran, support from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates is also needed.
This week, the EU imposed sanctions on Iran’s deputy defense minister, senior members of its feared Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and three airlines over allegations that they supplied drones, missiles, and other equipment to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.
Since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the 27-member EU has also reached out to other regional blocs, holding its first summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its first in eight years with the Community of Caribbean and Latin American Countries (CELAC).
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
There is mounting concern about the future of the NATO military alliance after U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced plans to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany, as transatlantic tensions deepen over the Middle East war.
The U.S. economy showed renewed strength in the first quarter of 2026, rebounding to a 2 percent growth rate after a sluggish end to 2025, according to new data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on April 30.
President Donald Trump has granted a key federal approval for a major new oil pipeline from Canada into the United States, a project already being dubbed “Keystone Light” for its resemblance to the previously canceled Keystone XL.
Israel is moving decisively to strengthen its air dominance in the Middle East, approving the purchase of two additional squadrons of advanced fighter jets from the United States following lessons learned during the recent war with Iran.
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States will begin guiding commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, where global shipping has been effectively trapped amid the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
The Middle East is rapidly moving toward what many officials believe could be the second phase of the ongoing Iran war, with new military deployments, massive arms transfers, and rising tensions pointing to renewed conflict within days.
Despite the devastation and uncertainty brought by the ongoing conflict in Iran, a remarkable spiritual movement is quietly accelerating beneath the surface. Christian leaders report that the nation’s underground Church is not only enduring—but growing stronger—amid the chaos.