Jordan's Crown Prince and European Leaders Meet in Croatia to Address Middle East Energy Crisis

Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan joined a European leaders' meeting on Wednesday in Croatia to discuss the energy crisis caused by Iran. Leaders of the MED9 group—including Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain—convened to search for a response to moves blocking the Strait of Hormuz and the prospect of Houthi forces restricting maritime passage in the Red Sea. The working lunch focused entirely on the unfolding crises in the Middle East.

“Acting on energy prices and securing our supplies, working towards stability in the Middle East, preparing for the next European Council: these are all the stakes of the summit of Mediterranean countries of the European Union gathered in Croatia,” stated Mr Macron. He added, “We are building together the future of Europe and the Mediterranean, to invest in our competitiveness and strengthen our sovereignty, while protecting our natural spaces.” Other high-profile attendees included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and Albert II of Monaco.

Before the meeting, an adviser to Mr Macron explained the main objective: “The priority, within a Mediterranean framework, is to discuss all contacts with the US President and Iranian authorities in order to foster a resolution to the crisis and contribute to stability and security in the region, as well as to [maritime] transit.”

Faced with mounting discontent across Europe over high fuel prices driven by tensions in Gulf maritime routes, political figures such as Mr Macron and Italy's Giorgia Meloni are expected to lobby EU institutions for additional funding. Recently, the G7 group announced that 100 million barrels of oil and diesel would be released to stabilize prices. Speaking last week, Mr Macron noted that while routes were slowly opening up, transport costs remained elevated.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi rebels secured control of the Bab Al Mandeb strait, the Dhubab area overlooking the sea lane, and the strategic port city of Mokha, having previously threatened to block passage to Saudi vessels. This development compounds Iran's ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In response, European leaders are actively pursuing alternative supply lines, such as developing oil pipelines via Syria and accelerating the Great Sea Interconnector—a planned 1,300km subsea power cable connecting Greece, Cyprus, and Israel with partial EU funding.

Beyond energy concerns, southern Mediterranean states expressed deep anxiety regarding new measures adopted earlier this year to curb illegal migration. Last week, the European Commission moved to reinforce EU border controls following a surge of arrivals over the summer in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa. The proposed plan aims to expand the mandate of Frontex, the EU border protection agency, by establishing a standing corps ready for immediate deployment.

Concluding the discussions, the adviser to Mr Macron emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive framework to address the external exploitation of migration while simultaneously enhancing border security and surveillance ahead of the upcoming meeting of the EU's 27 leaders in Brussels.