European equities opened lower on Monday after the United States carried out air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Isfahan, Natanz and Fordo, raising the risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Futures had signalled a weak start and by early trading the Euro Stoxx 50 slipped 0.6%, Germany’s DAX lost 0.5%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.7%, London’s FTSE 100 eased 0.4% and Italy’s FTSE MIB declined 0.9%. Spain’s Ibex 35 underperformed, dropping 0.7% to 13,758 and falling below the 13,800-point mark. Defensive energy names such as Repsol gained 1.1%, but aerospace and travel stocks led declines, with Indra down 3.3% and IAG off 2.4%. Oil prices firmed on supply-route concerns, with Brent crude advancing about 1.3% to $76.4 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate approaching $74.8. Traders are monitoring the possibility of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly a fifth of global seaborne crude flows. Beyond geopolitics, investors await June flash purchasing-managers’ indexes and a hearing with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde later in the day for clues on the region’s growth and policy outlook.