EconoTicker

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Washington on Tuesday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, becoming the first European leader to see Trump since the start of U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran.

The trip comes as the conflict has disrupted key oil shipping routes and thrown global air travel into turmoil, raising the stakes for European security and energy interests.

On Sunday, Merz joined Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer in saying they are ready to work with the United States “to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region,” underscoring Europe’s push to avoid being sidelined as the war reshapes regional risk.

Source: Reuters

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris is ready to help Gulf countries targeted by Iranian attacks, stressing that any assistance would be provided only upon their request, proportionately, and in line with the collective self-defence principle under international law.

Barrot added that France wants urgent de-escalation and a return to the political-diplomatic track, as the conflict’s spillovers increasingly threaten regional security.

Source: Reuters

Iranian missiles targeting Prince Sultan Air Base—a facility near Riyadh that hosts U.S. forces—were intercepted, according to an AFP report citing a Gulf source.

Two witnesses told AFP they heard multiple explosions over Al Kharj (southeast of Riyadh), near the base, suggesting air-defense engagements overhead.

Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP) (via LiveMint; Times of Israel)

Germany is ramping up consular support for citizens stranded by widespread Middle East travel disruptions, with the Foreign Office saying it is relying on information services and consular assistance while civilian airspace remains heavily constrained.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman urged Germans to check commercial exit options, stay in contact with tour operators/airlines, and register on the ELEFAND crisis preparedness list so missions can reach them in an emergency.

The push comes as Germany’s travel sector reports a large footprint of disruption: around 30,000 holidaymakers with German tour operators have been affected, while Dertour said a low four-digit number of its customers were stranded due to airspace closures.

Source: German Federal Foreign Office (via dpa/The Local); Reuters

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a phone call with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, expressing support and solidarity with Bahrain amid escalating Middle East tensions.

Tokayev voiced concern over missile attacks on civilian infrastructure in Bahrain and in other countries not involved in the conflict, and said Kazakhstan supports de-escalation and a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.

Source: Qazinform (citing Akorda press service); Anadolu Agency

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said Iran used two drones to target energy-related sites, striking a water tank at the Mesaieed power plant and hitting another energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City.

The ministry said there were no human casualties, and that all damages and losses from the attack will be assessed by the relevant authorities.

Source: Qatar Ministry of Defence (via QNA); Al Jazeera

The European Commission said it has no immediate concern about the EU’s energy supply security despite the escalating Iran-linked conflict, arguing that storage levels and diversified imports leave Europe broadly covered in the near term.

That reassurance comes as QatarEnergy halted LNG production and related products after attacks on operating facilities, tightening the global gas balance and feeding price volatility at a time when shipping risk in the region remains elevated.

Key points:

• The Commission said EU gas storage is around 30%, and member states have been asked to share national assessments as the situation evolves.
• Qatar’s LNG halt is significant because the country accounts for about 20% of global LNG supply, and the disruption has already coincided with a sharp jump in European gas prices.

Source: Reuters

Israel’s military said it carried out a strike in Beirut that killed Hussein Makled, whom it identified as the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters.

The claim comes amid a sharp escalation on the Israel–Lebanon front, as Israel says it is expanding strikes on Hezbollah-linked targets across Lebanon following cross-border fire.

Source: Reuters

Fifteen U.S. aircraft have left Spain’s Rota and Morón military bases, flight-tracking maps showed, after Spain said the jointly operated facilities cannot be used for attacks on Iran.

Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares said the bases—though used by both countries—are under Spanish sovereignty and will only be used in line with the U.N. Charter and existing bilateral agreements. Reuters reported several of the departing aircraft were KC-135 refueling planes, with at least some later landing at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Source: Reuters; FlightRadar24; Spanish Foreign Ministry

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told Iran International’s reporter Niloufar Pourabrahim that the agency’s Incident and Emergency Centre is active and is monitoring potential nuclear-radiation conditions and levels in case military strikes hit nuclear-related facilities.

Grossi added that he has also spoken with Iran’s ambassador and other officials in Tehran, as the IAEA tracks any signs of radiological impact.

Separately, Grossi said the IAEA’s emergency team is fully operational and coordinating with regional safety networks, with no elevation in radiation above background levels detected in countries bordering Iran so far, according to reports citing his remarks.

Source: Iran International; IAEA (via public remarks)

Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport said Israeli airspace may reopen for civilian flights from Monday evening, but only in an “extremely limited” format as security conditions remain volatile.

The airport said operations are expected to expand gradually from Tuesday, depending on the evolving security situation, with Israeli carriers likely resuming first under tight controls.

Source: Reuters; Ben Gurion Airport / Israel Airports Authority

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the cabinet has decided to prohibit Hezbollah’s security and military activities on Lebanese soil, after the Iran-backed group launched missiles and drones toward Israel in what it framed as retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Lebanese officials said the state will treat any such armed activity as outside the law, and instructed the army and security agencies to take immediate steps to prevent launches from Lebanese territory—marking a sharp attempt to reassert the government’s monopoly over war-and-peace decisions amid intensified Israeli strikes.

Source: Reuters; Al Jazeera; The Washington Post; L’Orient-Le Jour