The War Against Iran: the Netherlands should stay out and look after its own people

26 March 2026

Chair,

The war against Iran, recently initiated by Israel and the United States, does not appear likely to end in the short term. There had been expectations of a kind of “Venezuela-style surprise scenario,” but Iran clearly proves to be of a different order.

Despite devastating attacks causing significant damage and casualties, there is no visible sign of a popular uprising within Iran, the very outcome that these attacks appeared to be aiming for.

Nor is there any clear evidence of Iran being militarily weakened, at least not in terms of the intensity and effectiveness of its counterattacks.

Iran has now effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Only vessels from non-hostile states are allowed through, and even they must pay substantial tolls. Moreover, they are required to trade their oil and other goods in yuan rather than in dollars.

In response to American attacks, Iran is also targeting U.S. bases in surrounding countries, as well as parts of their oil and gas production.

The economic consequences are a sharp global decline in production and rising oil and gas prices, disruption of global logistics routes, and an impending shortage of crucial products on the world market, such as essential chemicals and fertilisers. As long as Iran holds out and its demands are not met, there is no end to this situation in sight.

There are significant risks of further escalation, Iran appears both willing and capable of doing so, with potentially unforeseeable consequences on a global scale.

Direct military involvement by major powers such as Russia and China cannot be ruled out.

All in all, deeply concerning for both the short and the long term.

The most appropriate position for the Netherlands in this geopolitical conflict would seem to be one of restraint. Attempting to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force, as long as Iran remains standing, is an almost impossible military task, a suicide mission.

Participation in such an effort is not the path we should take.

As for the economic impact on the Netherlands, it is evident that a severe global energy shortage is looming.

For example, the production capacity of Qatar, an important LNG supplier for the Netherlands, has been severely reduced in the medium term. The fill level of Dutch gas reserves has dropped to an unprecedented low of 5.8%. This means high costs and potential shortages for the Netherlands as well.

In this context, it is absolutely necessary to immediately halt the closure of the Groningen gas fields.

The Netherlands sits on the largest natural gas field in Europe. It must be reopened as soon as possible.

At present, the above-ground infrastructure for gas extraction in Groningen is being physically dismantled. This must stop immediately, as this infrastructure cannot simply be rebuilt.

If this process continues, our ability to resume gas extraction in the long term will disappear.

Furthermore, it is high time to reopen dialogue with Russia, in order to explore the possibility of reconnecting to Russian gas supplies. Part of the Nord Stream pipeline could still be utilised for this purpose.

As a short-term measure, reducing excise duties, particularly for the most vulnerable sectors that cannot pass on fuel costs, should be seriously considered.

Heroically joining the American-Israeli attacks is not the right course of action. Reducing the energy bills for the Dutch people is.

Taboos surrounding Groningen gas and/or Russian gas, upheld in this House for ideological reasons, are no longer realistic.

Thank you.