From one energy crisis to the next: How the EU cut gas demand by a fifth

AI Summary

Disruption to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz amid the US–Iran war is constraining Middle Eastern oil and gas exports and renewing pressure on Europe’s energy security. The article looks at how the EU reduced gas demand by about a fifth after the energy shock that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The US–Iran war has disrupted maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz, severely restricting oil and gas exports from the Middle East. For Europe, the 2026 crisis echoes the challenges of 2022, as the continent once again faces supply disruptions that threaten its energy security and push up prices. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine ...