ABNA24 - The request by the European Commission is not merely a technical recommendation for managing consumption; it is a clear sign that the energy shock caused by the military aggression of America and the Zionist regime against Iran has moved beyond the oil market and has now directly reached Europe's energy security and cost of living. Dan Jørgensen, the European Union's Commissioner for Energy and Housing, stated in a September 25 letter to the energy ministers of member states that Europe is facing a "price crisis" linked to a "supply crisis," and that reducing demand could be effective in curbing prices. The European Commission has simultaneously emphasized that there is currently no immediate risk to supply security. These two statements together reveal the reality of the crisis. Europe is not yet facing blackouts or an immediate gas shortage, but to prevent price pressure from turning into a supply crisis, it has been forced to manage consumption.
The root of this situation must be sought in the geography of energy. The Strait of Hormuz is not just a regional waterway; it is one of the main chokepoints of the global energy market. The International Energy Agency has estimated that before the war, nearly one-fifth of global LNG trade passed through this route. Disruption in the passage of ships severely reduced LNG supply from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and at one point removed nearly 20 percent of global LNG supply from the market's reach.
The blow to Europe is more severe, because in recent years the continent has reduced its dependence on Russian gas, but in turn has become more dependent on the global LNG market. The European Union quickly reduced imports of Russian gas and in 2025 brought Russia's share of its gas imports to about 12 percent. This change has made Europe's energy security more diverse, but has increased its dependence on the global LNG market and competition for limited cargoes.
International Energy Agency statistics show that European gas prices in the second quarter of 2026 were still 32 percent higher than the previous year, and the average TTF index price reached about $16 per million British thermal units. In the same period, competition in Asia for LNG intensified, and part of the cargoes went toward Asian markets.
In such conditions, gas reserves become critically important. Recent reports show Europe's reserve levels at about 68 to 69 percent, which is much lower than the five-year average. On paper, there is still no immediate supply crisis, but the gap with the desired storage level and the approach of the cold season have reduced Europe's margin of safety. The European Commission had also previously allowed countries, using regulatory flexibility, to reduce the 2026 storage target to 80 percent in order to prevent panic buying and further pressure on prices.
This is where Brussels' request to reduce consumption finds its political and economic meaning. To compensate for the supply disruption, Europe is currently transferring part of the burden of the crisis from the supply side to the demand side. Consume less so you buy less; buy less so prices do not surge further. This is the same mechanism that the International Energy Agency has also emphasized in response to the global energy crisis.
But the issue is not only the coming winter. The International Energy Agency has warned that the effects of the disruption in Persian Gulf LNG could continue for years to come. Damage to LNG infrastructure in the region and delays in development projects, in the view of this institution, could keep the global gas market more restricted in 2026 and 2027 than previous forecasts. Chatham House think tank also warned after the interim Iran-U.S. agreement that even the reopening of Hormuz alone does not remove Europe's main vulnerability; because Europe remains dependent on imported and costly gas, and reducing demand must be part of its energy security strategy.
Therefore, Europe's expensive winter cannot be explained merely by a gas price chart. The current crisis shows how deeply Europe's energy security is tied to developments in the Persian Gulf and the decisions of actors beyond this continent's borders. The war that Washington started by attacking Iran has now reached inside Europe in the form of energy bills, transportation costs, fuel prices, and fear of a cold winter. Brussels is now asking its citizens to lower consumption. This may be the simplest instruction for managing the crisis; but at the same time, it is one of the clearest signs of the cost that the war in the Strait of Hormuz has imposed on Europe's economy.
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