What's at stake for Europe if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked?
Thousands of pride parade attendees took to the streets in Vienna, Warsaw, Rome and Athens on Saturday, waving rainbow flags and holding up signs of protest as they celebrated pride month, while also demanding political and social equality for the LGBTQ+ community in their respective countries.
Warsaw's pride parade went through the city centre and headed through the Old Town. The "Equality Parade" began on Saturday afternoon, and was attended by thousands of demonstrators.
Under the slogan "Love is the answer", the event's organisers expressed the hope that they could help others to express their LGBTQ+ identity openly and without fear.
"We don't want to talk about such matters somewhere underground, we don't want to hide in basements - we come to the surface to talk about it," said Rafał Dembe, president of the Equality Volunteering Foundation at a press conference ahead of the march.
During the conference, the organisers said that the demonstration in Warsaw is the largest of its kind in the country.
Among the most notable attendees of the parade were mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski, who recently found himself on the losing side of the country's presidential election, member of the European Parliament Robert Biedroń and Minister of Equality Katarzyna Kotula.
Four days earlier, Kotula submitted a bill to parliament to introduce civil partnerships, including for same-sex couples.
Speaking to the crowd at the start of the parade, Trzaskowski said "Remember that I have been saying for many years that together we are building Warsaw, which is an open and tolerant city, where these values are not only appreciated but also promoted."
Braving the scorching hot 35 degree weather, thousands of people walked the city of Rome from Piazza della Repubblica to Via Cavour to participate in the Italian capital's pride march. Three motorcyclists with roaring engines kicked off the parade. Right behind them was the leader of the parade, holding a large banner with the word "Outlaw", written on it. The banner is in protest of what organisers see as the conservative incumbent government's lack of support for LGBTQ+ rights.
Among those taking part in the demonstration were the spokesperson of the Capitoline parade, Mario Colamarino, and the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.
''We are here for the rights of all, to have a more inclusive and equal Italy, better than the one we have now. 'Outlaws' is what we are in this country today, we must fight and we must be many," said Colamarino.
The event in Rome was held not only to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride, but also to protest the ongoing conflict in Gaza, for which a one-minute silence was held. Many Palestinian flags and banners were waved alongside rainbow flags, as people chanted slogans for free love and equality. Along with house and pop music, the Italian partisan anthem "Bella Ciao" was also sung by the demonstrators.
A float satirically depicting Hungarian Prime Miniser Viktor Orban - whose government was last week denied a request to hold a pride march in Budapest - was also rolled out, an initiative by the Italian +Europa party.
"Today, more than ever, it is important to attend pride at a time when in the world there are autocracies, illiberal democracies, fundamentalist regimes that attack civil rights and individual freedoms in Hungary, as well as in Russia and Trump's United States, where some words, such as 'gay', are banned on institutional websites", said the party's secretary, Riccardo Magi.
2025 marks the 20th year since the first Athens Pride was held, and this year's slogan is "We Count". This has a double meaning in Greek - the phrase can either mean "we matter", but can also mean to take stock of something. The latter is in reference to recollecting everything that has happened since June 2005, when the first Athens pride parade was held.
According to the organisers, this includes joy, such as the pride and liberation of the first years, losses due to hate and homophobic attacks, victories such as same-sex civic union and marriage, but also disappointment such as the stigma that remains, as well as the fight for visibility and rights.
"Now, more than ever, the global context shows us that no acquis (law) can be taken for granted. Instead, our rights and our very existence are being challenged every day. The rise of the far right and the normalisation of hate speech in political and media discourse are a threat to all of us. The exclusion of LGBTQ+ refugees and migrants is intensifying, leading to the exclusion of people on the basis of racist, sexist, homophobic and/or transphobic motives," the organisers say on their website.
"For all this, our presence in the public space will continue to be our undeniable right, a historical duty and an act of resistance against a public discourse of abuse that seeks to erase us. The struggle for equality is ongoing and remains unabated. We are and will be here to keep them going," the organisers say on their website.
Pride month is celebrated in Athens with a variety of cultural events, screenings, performances, parties, shows, panel discussions, workshops and seminars, many of point to the now 20-year history of pride in the Greek capital, with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives also taking centre stage.
Revolutionary Guard commander Sardar Esmail Kowsari told local media in an interview closing the Strait of Hormuz "is under consideration, and Iran will make the best decision with determination."
"Our hands are wide open when it comes to punishing the enemy, and the military response was only part of our overall response," added Kowsari, who is a member of parliament in addition to his military position.
Iran's short- and medium-range missiles would be capable of targeting oil infrastructure platforms, pipelines in the Strait, or even attacking commercial vessels, and surface-to-surface missiles could target tankers or ports along the Gulf. Airstrikes using aircraft and drones could disable navigation or radar equipment at major shipping ports in the region.
Unmanned drones like Iran's Shahed models could potentially be used to attack specific shipping lanes or infrastructure in the Strait. Iran could attempt to deploy warships to physically block access to the Strait. In 2012, Iran launched a cyberattack on Saudi Arabia's oil industry, showing its growing capability in this domain.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically vital chokepoints in the world, and any blockade by Iran would pose serious risks for Europe.
Blocking the Strait was one of four Iranian responses to the conflict including terrorist acts on mainland Europe which security expert Claude Moniquet cited in an interview with Euronews.
It would be 'a disaster for Europe', the former French intelligence office said.
Here are some of the reasons why.
Roughly 20% of global oil and a significant portion of natural gas pass through the Strait. Europe imports oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Gulf states Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE much of which travels through the Strait. If Iran blocks it, global oil prices would spike, and Europe could face energy shortages, especially in countries dependent on Middle Eastern fuel.
A sudden oil price surge would increase inflation, energy costs, and disrupt industries across Europe. Manufacturing, transport, and agriculture sectors would be especially vulnerable. Market reactions and volatility in European stock exchanges could be a knock-on effect.
A blockade could trigger military confrontations involving the US, EU navies, and Gulf states, risking a broader regional war. Europe might be drawn into the conflict through NATO obligations or alliances, especially with countries like France or the UK maintaining naval presence in the region.
Beyond oil, the Strait is a key route for global shipping. Disruption could delay European imports of raw materials, electronics, and consumer goods, affecting supply chains. Insurance premiums for shipping could spike, raising costs for European businesses and consumers.
At least three people have been injured and 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid were destroyed after a Russian drone strike on a warehouse in Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia in the early hours of Saturday.
The injured were two police officers and a civilian, according to local officials. The damage from the strike is estimated at around $3 million. The aid was set to be provided to people who were internally displaced, as well as to residents in frontline areas of the war.
Shops, a multi-storey building and a public transport stop were also reportedly damaged in the attack.
Oleksandr Beluga, founder of the NGO Beluga UA, told local media ""Now everything has been destroyed, two days ago we received help from 5 trucks. There is approximately $3 million worth of damage here."
Aside from Zaporizhzhia, the regions of Kharkiv, Donetsk and Dnipro were also targeted in an attack which consisted of a total of 58 Shahedattack UAVs, as well as various types of imitation drones, reported the Ukrainian air force.
43 were neutralised, they said, with 23 being shot down and 20 having their signals jammed.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military also reported that it had carried out overnight drone strikes targeting two Russian chemical plants that were tied to the production of explosives.
"As part of efforts to reduce (Russia's) ability to produce explosives and ammunition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' drone systems, in coordination with other Defense Forces units, struck critical facilities of Russia's military-industrial complex overnight," said Ukraine's General Staff.
The chemical plants were reportedly located in Stavropol Krai and Samara Oblast. Both were identified as major suppliers of raw materials and components for the production of Russia's weapons and fuel.
The Stavropol governor confirmed the strike, saying that drone debris had landed in the city's industrial zone.
On Friday, the bodies of 1,200 soldiers were returned to Ukraine as part of an agreement reached between Russia and Ukraine during their 2 June peace talks in Istanbul.
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War released a statement saying that Russia returned 1,200 bodies, and 'according to the Russian side, the bodies belong to Ukrainian citizens, in particular military personnel.'
It was the only tangible achievement of the Istanbul talks, with 1,212 bodies also being returned by Russia earlier this week, with 27 dead soldiers going the other way.
The two sides conducted a prisoners of war swap on Thursday, which included badly wounded and gravely ill captives. Their numbers were not disclosed, however.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Pro-Palestinian protest leader defiant despite US deportation threat
"Even if they would kill me, I would still speak for Palestine," Khalil said as he was greeted by cheering supporters at Newark airport, just outside New York City. Khalil, a legal permanent resident in the United States who is married to a US citizen and has a US-born son, had been in custody since March facing potential deportation. He was freed from a federal immigration detention center in Louisiana on Friday, hours after a judge ordered his release on bail. The Columbia University graduate was a figurehead of student protests against US ally Israel's war in Gaza, and the Trump administration labeled him a national security threat. "Just the fact I am here sends a message -- the fact that all these attempts to suppress pro-Palestine voices have failed now," said Khalil, who is still fighting his potential expulsion from the United States. He spoke alongside his wife Noor Abdalla, who gave birth to the couple's first child while Khalil was in detention, as well as Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "Mahmoud Khalil was imprisoned for 104 days by this administration, by the Trump administration, with no grounds and for political reasons, because Mahmoud Khalil is an advocate for Palestinian human rights," Ocasio-Cortez said. "This is not over, and we will have to continue to support this case," she added. Khalil, who was born in Syria to Palestinian parents, is not allowed to leave the United States except for "self-deportation" under the terms of his release. He also faces restrictions on where he can travel within the country. President Donald Trump's government has justified pushing for Khalil's deportation by saying his continued presence in the United States could carry "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences." Beyond his legal case, Khalil's team fears he could face threats out of detention. "We are very mindful about his security, and the irony is that he is the one being persecuted," Baher Azmy, one of his lawyers, told AFP.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
UK PM Starmer says Kneecap should not perform Glastonbury
Asked in an interview by The Sun tabloid whether the Irish rap trio should perform at the iconic festival next week, Starmer responded: "No, I don't, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. "This is about the threats that shouldn't be made. I won't say too much because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate," he added. Kneecap has made headlines with their outspoken pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance, with one of their members charged with a "terror" offence for allegedly supporting Hezbollah. Last Wednesday, Liam O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, appeared in court accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag while saying "Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah" at a concert that took place in London last year. The Iran-backed Lebanese force Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is an offence to show support for them. Glastonbury festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of music fans from around the world, is set to take place in at Worthy Farm in southeast England next week starting June 25. Kneecap is due to perform on Saturday June 28 on the West Holts Stage. The government had previously called on the organisers of Glastonbury festival to "think carefully" about the band's planned appearance there. The group has been pulled from a slew of summer gigs since, including a Scottish festival appearance and various performances in Germany. During their performances, rapping in Irish and English, Kneecap often lead chants of "Free, free Palestine" and display the Palestinian flag. The group apologised this year after a 2023 video emerged appearing to show one singer calling for the death of British Conservative MPs. But they deny the terrorism charge and say the video featuring the flag has been taken out of context. O'Hanna, Liam Og O Hannaidh in Gaelic, who has been granted unconditional bail, told London's Wide Awake Festival in May the charge was an attempt to "silence us". The group, which shot to fame with their biting, provocative song lyrics and an award-winning docu-fiction based on them, slammed it as "political policing" and "a carnival of distraction".
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Israel says it has killed three more Iranian commanders as war drags into second week
Israel said Saturday it had killed three more Iranian commanders in its unprecedented bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic, which Foreign Minister Gideon Saar claimed had delayed Tehran's alleged progress towards a nuclear weapon by two years. Israel's military said a strike in Qom south of Tehran successfully targeted top Iranian official Saeed Izadi, in charge of coordination with Palestinian militant group Hamas, adding two other commanders from Iran 's Revolutionary Guards were also killed overnight. The Revolutionary Guards said five of its members died in attacks on Khorramabad, according to Iranian media. They did not mention Izadi, who was on US and British sanctions lists, but said Israel had also attacked a building in Qom, with initial reports of a 16-year-old killed and two people injured. As Israel continued to strike Iran's nuclear facilities and military targets, Saar said in an interview that by his country's own assessment, it had "already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb". "We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat," Saar told German newspaper Bild, asserting Israel's onslaught would continue. 02:49 Israel and Iran have traded wave after wave of devastating strikes since Israel launched its aerial campaign on June 13, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon – an accusation the Islamic Republic has denied. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi has said Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium to 60 percent. But he added that there was no evidence Tehran had all the components to make a functioning nuclear warhead. Grossi told CNN it was "pure speculation" to say how long it would take Iran to develop weapons. Israel said it had attacked Iran's Isfahan nuclear site for a second time after its air force announced it had also launched salvos against missile storage and launch sites in the centre of the country. The army later said it was striking military infrastructure in southwest Iran. US President Donald Trump warned on Friday that Tehran had a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid possible American air strikes, as Washington weighs whether to join Israel's campaign. 'Not prepared to negotiate' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Istanbul on Saturday for a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the conflict. Top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met Araghchi in Geneva on Friday, and urged him to resume talks with the United States that had been derailed by Israel's attacks. But Araghchi told NBC News after the meeting that "we're not prepared to negotiate with them (the United States) anymore, as long as the aggression continues". Trump, dismissive of European diplomatic efforts, also said he was unlikely to ask Israel to stop its attacks to get Iran back to the table. "If somebody's winning, it's a little bit harder to do," he said. Iran: Israel strikes key nuclear site of Isfahan, authorities report no hazardous leak 01:33 Any US involvement would likely feature powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses to destroy an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo. A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, said on Friday that based on its sources and media reports at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians. Iran's health ministry on Saturday gave a toll of more than 400 people killed and 3,056 in the Israeli strikes. Nasrin, 39, who was receiving treatment at Hazrat Rasool hospital in Tehran and who gave only her first name, said she had been thrown across a room in her home by an Israeli strike on the Iranian capital "I just hit the wall. I don't know how long I was unconscious. When I woke up, I was covered in blood from head to toe," she told AFP from her hospital bed. Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 25 people in Israel, according to official figures. Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate said more than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they have targeted military sites and air force bases.
