EU Unveils Energy Plan Amid Iran War Shock
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a strategy to address the consequences of the US-Israeli military war with Iran on European energy markets.
"The choices we make today will shape our ability to face the challenges of today and the crises of tomorrow," she said on April 22, announcing a package that included optimizing the distribution of jet fuel among EU member states.
"Our AccelerateEU strategy will bring both immediate and more structural relief measures to European citizens and businesses," von der Leyen added. "We must accelerate the shift to homegrown, clean energies. This will give us energy independence and security, and mean we are better able to weather geopolitical storms."
The effective closure of the key Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for about one-fifth of the global oil trade, has become a central issue of the conflict, putting many exporting countries in the region at risk of a crisis and sharply driving up energy prices.
A separate statement about the initiative, announced by von der Leyen and published on the same day, said the EU has spent an additional 24 billion euros ($28.2 billion) on energy imports since the first days of the war.
"Even if hostilities ceased immediately, disruptions to energy supplies from the Gulf will persist for the foreseeable future," the statement said.
Iran Accused Of Striking Kurdish Opposition Group In Iraq
Drone strikes in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region wounded three members of an exiled Iranian Kurdish rebel group on April 22, according to the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), which blamed Iran.
The group said four drones targeted its bases in the Khabat district of Irbil province, causing minor injuries.
The reported attack comes during a fragile cease-fire in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which took effect on April 8.
Tehran has repeatedly targeted Iranian Kurdish groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan, which it designates as terrorist organizations and accuses of serving Western or Israeli interests.
Days before the war began on February 28, PAK joined four other exiled groups in a coalition seeking to topple Iran’s Islamic republic and secure Kurdish self-determination.
Kurds are one of Iran’s largest ethnic minorities, accounting for up to 10 percent of the population according to some estimates. They are mostly concentrated in the west of the country along the Iraqi and Turkish borders.
With reporting by AFP
Sunni Cleric Calls For 'Just Agreement' With US
A prominent Iranian Sunni cleric and outspoken critic of the regime has said that Iran’s “skies are under enemy control” and that key infrastructure had been “exposed to destruction.”
In a post on X on April 22, Abdolhamid Esmailzehi also said that the country’s armed forces lacked the necessary tools for air defense and argued that in the current deadlock the only path forward was a “just agreement.”
Abdolhamid sharply criticized hard-liners who he said were blocking such an outcome, asking what answer they would have “before God and this oppressed nation” if their obstinacy resulted in “the ruin of the homeland.”
Esmailzehi's comments appeared to reflect growing public debate inside Iran over the costs of continued confrontation with the US and Israel.
Iran is a Shi'a-majority country, with about 90 percent of the population belonging to that branch of Islam. The Sunni Islam minority is about 5-10 percent, according to recent statistics.
Second Ship Fired Upon In Hormuz Strait, Says Monitor
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) shipping monitor said an outbound cargo ship reported being fired upon in the Strait of Hormuz early on April 22, about eight nautical miles west of Iran.
The vessel was left "stopped in the water," though all crew were safe and no damage was reported, the UKMTO said on X.
The UKMTO post came hours after it reported another incident in which a container ship said it was fired on by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps northeast of Oman, suffering heavy damage to its bridge.
Since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28, repeated strikes on shipping have severely disrupted traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which usually accounts for about one-fifth of the global oil trade.
With reporting by dpa
Iran's Digital Blackout Enters 53rd Day, Says Internet Monitor
The NetBlocks Internet connectivity monitor says Iran’s digital blackout has entered its 53rd day, with users disconnected from global networks for 1,248 hours.
The watchdog said authorities are expanding tiered access for selected users and businesses, while the human and economic costs continue to mount.
Separately, Iranian Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi warned that an unstable Internet threatens the livelihoods of about 10 million Iranians, mainly from lower- and middle-income groups who depend on reliable connectivity for their work.
He said prolonged disruption “could have deep social and economic consequences," underscoring the growing domestic pressure over the nationwide shutdown.
Iran Executes Man Over Alleged Links To Mossad
Iran says it has hanged a man after convicting him of alleged espionage and extensive cooperation with the Israeli spy agency Mossad.
The country's judiciary said on April 22 that Mehdi Farid's death sentence was upheld after legal review under the capital charge of “corruption on earth.”
Officials did not disclose when he was arrested or tried.
The judiciary's Mizan website claimed Farid had provided "sensitive information to Mossad."
It added that Farid was accused of "connecting the servers of a sensitive organization to infected files on the orders of a Mossad officer."
Human rights organizations had previously identified Farid as a former employee of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
It was also announced that, in related cases, 19 other sentences have so far been issued in Qom Province for defendants accused of “cooperation with the enemy,” including prison terms and fines.
Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28, the Islamic republic has intensified the implementation of execution sentences.
In recent days, multiple reports have also emerged of daily executions carried out by Iran’s judiciary.
With reporting by AFP
Trump Says Iran Is ‘Collapsing Financially’
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is “collapsing financially,” losing $500 million a day and urgently seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In his Truth Social post early on April 22, he also alleged that the country was experiencing deepening economic distress and its security forces had not been paid.
Shipping Monitor Says Vessel Fired Upon Near Oman
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British maritime security monitoring center that issues alerts to commercial shipping in the Middle East, said on April 22 that it received a report of an incident 15 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
The captain of a container ship said their vessel was approached by an Iranian Revolutionary Guards gunboat which gave no radio warning before opening fire, causing heavy damage to the bridge.
UKMTO said no fire or pollution was reported and all crew were safe.
Washington Says Iran Blockade Will Continue Under 'Maximum Pressure'
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would maintain its naval blockade of Iranian ports, predicting storage at Kharg Island would soon fill and oil wells would be forced to shut.
Bessent said the Treasury would continue “maximum pressure” sanctions targeting Tehran’s trade, finance and revenue networks.
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.