▲ David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on March 1, 2026, in this photo provided by the Delegation of the European Union to South Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(Yonhap Interview) EU parliament-Iran war

(Yonhap Interview) EU parliament urges end of Iran war, but ready for role in Strait of Hormuz

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, April 1 (Yonhap) -- The European Union (EU) has called for an end to the ongoing war in the Middle East before any actions can be taken, but it is ready to engage in efforts to help ensure stability in the Strait of Hormuz, the chair of the EU parliament's foreign affairs has said.

David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, made the remarks as he struck a cautious note on how the 27-member bloc might contribute to protecting the vital shipping route for global energy supplies amid the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict.

How to align with global efforts to safeguard the critical choke point has become a delicate challenge for South Korea as well. Given its heavy reliance on Middle Eastern energy imports and its ties with both the United States and Iran, Seoul has taken a measured approach to the matter.

"First, the war has to end; the military hostilities have to end," McAllister said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.

"Several (EU) countries have expressed readiness to contribute to 'appropriate' efforts to ensure safe passage of the Strait of Hormuz after the cessation of hostilities. So that's where we are," he said.

He was visiting Seoul this week on a three-day trip for meetings with South Korean lawmakers and government officials.

In step with major European nations and other U.S. allies, Seoul has joined over 30 countries in a joint statement condemning Iran's effective blockade of the waterway and pledging efforts to ensure safe passage, even as it has remained reserved regarding U.S. calls for greater involvement.

"I can only speak for the European Union, but the same ideas would be floating here in Seoul," he said.

While EU member states have expressed readiness to support "all diplomatic efforts" to ease Middle East tensions, McAllister said it remains to be seen what form the EU's role in securing freedom of navigation in the strategic checkpoint will take.

"It is too early to say how this engagement could look like," he said.

McAllister noted that the changing international landscape, marked by America's increasingly transactional approach to foreign policy, calls for the EU to bolster its security pillar to achieve a more "equal footing" with the U.S., positioning South Korea as a key partner in the defense industry.

"Korea plays an important role already in supplying some of our member states with excellent defense equipment," he said. "This security and defense partnership consolidates Korea's position as one of our most significant Indo-Pacific partners, and it is also a strong basis for a long-term joint action to meet common geopolitical challenges."

McAllister highlighted the growing security linkages between Europe and South Korea amid deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, where North Korean troops are fighting alongside Moscow.

"What happens in Europe matters to Asia, and what happens in Asia matters to Europe," he said. "We are so interconnected, and that is why we need to closely coordinate our efforts to maintain global stability."

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