EU: No peace possible while “Lebanon is in flames”
Von der Leyen warns Hormuz closure and Israeli strikes on Lebanon threaten regional stability.

Von der Leyen warns Hormuz closure and Israeli strikes on Lebanon threaten regional stability.

![The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross transits the Atlantic Ocean, February 21, 2026. [Jayden Brown/US Navy]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/9532152_cropped-1776099339.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)







Pakistan has been under the spotlight as it managed what others couldn’t due to its ties with the Gulf, US and China.
The US restrictions on maritime navigation and transit in international waters are illegal, Iranian military says.
Other US allies criticise Trump’s move, including France, Spain and Turkiye, and China also condemns the plan.
The US blockade is killing not just a failing state, but six decades of a small island extending global solidarity.
The move to blockade the Strait of Hormuz is the latest escalation in the war after failure to sign peace deal.
Leo, who last year became the first US-born pope, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The Northern Irishman becomes the first player to repeat at Augusta National since Tiger Woods back in 2001-2002.
Vessels will still be able to transit the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports, says US Central Command.

In a matter of minutes, Israel killed more than 350 people across Lebanon on Wednesday, April 8.