The virtual meeting, convened by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, comes as violence has spread across the region after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

Oil and gas infrastructure, as well as US facilities, in the Gulf have been hit and the strategic Strait of Hormuz effectively closed as Iran has struck back.

The 27-nation bloc EU has been left largely on the sidelines of the fighting to grapple with the fallout of the conflict.

So far European nations have focused mainly on evacuating nationals stranded in the region and have been nervously eyeing the impact of surging energy prices.

Brussels is also monitoring closely for any potential increase in the number of refugees fleeing the Middle East, although there are so far no signs of an exodus.