France and Germany are intensifying diplomatic efforts to mitigate the fallout from an escalating oil crisis in the Middle East. Analysts suggest these actions are more focused on damage control than on establishing genuine European leadership.

France and Germany have ramped up diplomatic efforts to contain the fallout from an escalating Middle East oil crisis, seeking to project European autonomy and distance themselves from the US-Israeli war on Iran. But as the conflict entered its second month, analysts said this was more about damage control than a leadership bid. They said while Berlin and Paris were at the forefront of calls for de-escalation they had limited room for manoeuvre given their security dependence on...