Tuesday’s Top Story: Europe signals readiness for Hormuz security mission after Iran breakthrough European leaders say they are prepared to back a “purely defensive” mission to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after what they describe as a breakthrough agreement on Iran ahead of the G7 summit in Évian. In a joint statement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the deal “opens an opportunity to restabilise the region
and the global economy”. The idea under discussion would see naval forces help protect shipping through one of the world’s most important oil routes. France has signalled it could send mine-clearing vessels and says a carrier strike group already in the region could be ready within days if the agreement is implemented. Germany has previously said it is open to taking part. The minehunter Fulda and supply ship Mosel are already positioned in the eastern Mediterranean and could reach the region within days if ordered.
Iran has rejected the idea of any foreign military presence in the waterway. Officials there have warned that outside involvement in securing navigation or mine clearance would not be accepted. The Strait of Hormuz carries around a fifth of global oil flows and has been heavily disrupted during recent tensions. Berlin court blocks AfD politician’s entry into senior police service A Berlin court has stopped the appointment of a former AfD local politician to the senior criminal police service, citing doubts over his loyalty to
the constitution. The applicant had originally received a job offer after working in the Berlin police force since 2011. That offer was later withdrawn after authorities learned more about his political role as a local parliamentary group leader for the AfD in Brandenburg. In expedited proceedings the court ruled that the state of Berlin had legitimate concerns about constitutional loyalty and that these were enough to justify rejecting the appointment. A final decision in the main case is still pending. The case has drawn attention
because the applicant had already left his previous job in anticipation of the promotion before the offer was pulled. The AfD’s Brandenburg branch was classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist organisation by the state’s domestic intelligence agency in 2025. READ ALSO: ‘Welcome culture to farewell culture’ – The AfD’s plans for Saxony-Anhalt Germany’s major cities to meet deadline for ‘heat planning’ By 2028 at the latest, all German municipalities are obliged to submit a heat plan which outlines the city’s strategy to transition off off
fossil-fuel powered heating. The country’s biggest cities already appear to be on track to do so. “The large municipalities in Germany will really manage to complete their heating plans by mid-2026. This is huge news,” said Robert Brückmann, head of the Competence Centre for the Municipal Heat Transition (KWW) in Halle. The municipal heat plan became legally mandatory at the beginning of 2024. Medium-sized and small cities and municipalities have until the end of June 2028 to submit such a plan. After 2045, it will
no longer be possible to produce heat with natural gas and oil. At the beginning, some municipalities in Baden-Württemberg were considered pioneers in heat planning. According to Brückmann, things are already looking good for the medium-sized municipalities, of which “about 80 percent” are either actively working on a heat plan or have already finished. READ ALSO: What Germany’s new heating law means for tenants and landlords EU tightens sanctions against Russia, begins membership negotiations with Ukraine The European Union has agreed a new package of
sanctions targeting individuals and organisations linked to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine including parts of the defence sector and the so-called shadow fleet used to bypass existing restrictions. Foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg approved measures against companies and individuals involved in arms production, disinformation networks and attempts to evade earlier sanctions. Ten individuals and one organisation were added for involvement in influence and disinformation campaigns targeting the EU. A further 15 individuals and one organisation were sanctioned in connection with the death of Russian opposition
figure Alexei Navalny in a penal colony in 2024. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the measures are meant to further limit Russia’s ability to sustain its war economy, adding that each round of sanctions reduces its room for manoeuvre. The EU on Monday also pushed Ukraine’s bid to join onto the next stage after a long delay, but Kyiv still has a long and tricky path ahead to becoming a full member. Foreign ministers from the 27-nation bloc formally kicked off negotiations with
Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova on aligning with a first “cluster” of EU laws. Ukraine was stuck for some two years as Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban vetoed all progress, but his election defeat by rival Peter Magyar in April opened up the way. “We have all waited for this day a long time and today is a day to celebrate,” said EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos at a gathering in Luxembourg. But despite the fanfare, the war-torn country likely won’t join the bloc any time
soon. In purely practical terms, a mammoth workload still lies ahead to align Ukraine’s laws, institutions, and standards with the EU’s — despite major strides already made by Kyiv, even as it battles Russia. Elon Musk announces lawsuit against German broadcast company ZDF The world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk, announced on his platform X that he is planning to take legal action against Germany’s public broadcaster ZDF. Musk says the suit is to defend himself from “scandalous lies”. According to a report by Welt, ZDF
had falsely accused the tech entrepreneur of calling for the “hunt for migrants” in response to a knife attack in Northern Ireland. Musk and his companies, namely X and Tesla, have been involved in a number of law suits and legal challenges in the Germany courts. In 2025 German non-profits successfully sued X in a Berlin court to enforce the EU’s Digital Services Act. This victory was said to ensure that researchers could gain access to crucial data needed to study election‑related risks, ordering X
to grant these organizations access to its public data. With reporting by AFP, DPA and Paul Krantz.
Berlin court, AfD, loyalty to the constitution, senior criminal police service, heat planning, KWW Halle, municipal heat plans 2028, Strait of Hormuz mission, Fulda, Mosel, EU sanctions, Alexei Navalny, Ukraine EU negotiations, ZDF, Elon Musk lawsuit