Lithuania Presses EU to Help Unblock Strait of Hormuz
"Ensuring shipping after military actions, after the active phase, is also the responsibility of the European Union," Budrys told a broadcaster.
The minister urged the bloc to carefully weigh both what it can contribute and the potential consequences of its involvement, stressing that military operations alone do not constitute a complete response.
"Operations are not the only component," Budrys said, adding: "As a major diplomatic power, the European Union has its own levers. These include economic measures: showing a perspective through sanctions on Iran, relations with regional states and, ultimately, the isolation of Iran."
Budrys also sounded a broader economic alarm, cautioning that Europe's overall situation stands to deteriorate sharply as fuel prices climb and inflationary pressures intensify.
"We must mobilize our forces and resources to solve the issue. Europe has certainly not fully utilized everything it can do," he added.
The remarks come as the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz deepens. Washington and Tehran held their most consequential direct talks since severing diplomatic ties in 1979, convening over the weekend in the Pakistani capital as part of efforts to halt the US-Israeli offensive on Iran — a campaign that has killed more than 3,300 people since Feb. 28, before a fragile two-week ceasefire was brokered last week. Those negotiations, however, ended without a breakthrough.
US President Donald Trump subsequently announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which took effect at 1400 GMT Monday, further tightening the stranglehold on one of the world's most vital shipping corridors.
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