Oslo –
Already the continent’s biggest single supplier of natural gas since Russia invaded Ukraine, Norway is hoping to use the Middle East war to get European Union blessing to drill in the Arctic.
The European Commission is revising its Arctic strategy, which has since 2021 committed the EU to work towards an international moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the region.
With Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial conduit for oil and gas deliveries — Norwegian politicians and business circles have been quick to lobby for the planned ban to be scrapped.