Kaja Kallas says the EU does not understand US actions in the Hormuz Strait as blockade measures raise concerns over global shipping and energy routes.
In an interview with the BBC, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said European officials still do not fully understand what the United States is doing in the Hormuz Strait.
Kallas said Washington’s exact actions remain unclear, but stressed that one principle must remain non-negotiable: no fees or charges for using these routes should be treated as legitimate. She emphasized that these shipping lanes have always been open to all.
She also warned that any disruption to traffic through the strait, a key corridor for energy supplies and fertilizers, would inflict serious damage on the rest of the world. For that reason, she said, the route must remain open.
At the same time, Kallas noted that Europe, together with other countries, is prepared to use its capabilities to help ensure safe navigation in the Hormuz Strait, though only after the fighting ends.
A day earlier, the United States began a blockade of the Hormuz Strait after talks with Iran collapsed. The restrictions apply to vessels of all countries entering or leaving Iranian ports, as well as shipping connected to all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.