Regional bourses were higher, with London's FTSE 100 and ​Germany's DAX adding 0.6% and 0.9%, respectively.

Ahead of a high-stakes summit in Beijing, U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not think he will need China's help to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Tehran's firm control over the Strait of Hormuz has kept prices above $100 a barrel, stoking inflation and weighing on global growth. Europe, dependent on ‌energy imports, has remained vulnerable, with ⁠equities continuing to trade below pre-war levels.

"The big thing is the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. We saw relief when oil prices dropped back to $90 when there (were ⁠expectations of) a peace deal between Iran and the U.S. and the Strait reopening," said Joost van Leenders, senior investment strategist at Van Lanschot Kempen.

"And those hopes have been dashed."

With first-quarter earnings winding up, corporate profits in aggregate are ​expected to ​rise at their fastest pace in three years. European ​earnings are expected to have grown 10.2% for ‌the quarter, according to LSEG-compiled data.

"When you look at earnings growth for the whole year, I think it's around 13%. That would be quite an improvement from the past years, so we're a bit cautious on that to see if that will be realised," van Leenders added.

Technology stocks gained 1.5%, with semiconductor stocks Infineon Technologies, STMicroelectronics and Aixtron up between 5.4% and 7.3%.

Financials and healthcare shares aided the broader index, rising about ‌0.6% each.

Merck jumped 8.6% after the German firm lifted its ​forecast range for full-year adjusted operating profit. Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk ​was up 2.3%.

Allianz rose 1.3% after the insurance ​company posted a 52% rise in first-quarter net profit. ABN Amro added 7.2% on ‌beating quarterly profit estimates and was on track ​for its best day ​since February last year.

Britain's Intertek surged 6.8% after the product testing company said it was likely to recommend a 9.4-billion-pound ($12.72-billion) takeover bid by Sweden's EQT.

Official data showed France's unemployment rate rose to 8.1% ​in the first quarter of 2026, ‌its highest since 2021.