Iran has rejected remarks by European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that international law does not prevent it from acting to safeguard its security. Kallas had said that passage through key waterways like Hormuz \u201cmust remain open and free of charge\u201d under international law.<\/p>\n
Responding, Iran\u2019s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran, as a coastal state, can take \u201cnecessary measures\u201d if the strait is used for military aggression against it, stressing that no legal provision bars such action. He also took a sharp swipe at Europe, saying its repeated references to international law ring hollow.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpare the sermons; Europe\u2019s chronic failure to practice what it preaches has turned its \u2018international law\u2019 talk into peak hypocrisy,\u201d Baghaei said, while asserting that no rule of international law forbids Iran from acting against the use of the strait for military aggression.<\/p>\n
Oh, that ‘international law’?! The one that the EU dusts off to lecture others while quietly green-lighting a U.S.-Israeli war of aggression\u2014and looking the other way on atrocities against Iranians?!<\/p>\n
Spare the sermons; Europe\u2019s chronic failure to practice what it preaches has https:\/\/t.co\/Xv26JrZRnO<\/a>\u2014 Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) April 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n He further dismissed the idea of \u201cunconditional transit passage\u201d through Hormuz, arguing that such a concept no longer holds in the current geopolitical environment, especially with US and Israeli military presence near the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n Kallas, however, maintained that global norms must be upheld, reiterating that transit through waterways like the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free of charge under international law. She warned that any pay-for-passage scheme would set a dangerous precedent for global maritime routes and said Iran must abandon such plans.<\/p>\n She also said Europe is prepared to play a role in restoring the free flow of energy and trade once a ceasefire takes hold, noting that the EU\u2019s Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea could be strengthened to protect shipping across the region.<\/p>\n Under international law, transit through waterways like the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free of charge. This is what leaders made clear in their call on reopening the Strait today.<\/p>\n Any pay-for-passage scheme will set a dangerous precedent for global maritime routes. pic.twitter.com\/Jeufv4hQou<\/a>\u2014 Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The exchange comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with increased military activity raising concerns over disruptions to global shipping. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world\u2019s most critical maritime chokepoints, handling a significant share of global oil and trade flows.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, instability around the strait has prompted shipping companies to reassess routes, fuelling fears of escalation, even as Western powers continue to stress the importance of maintaining open and secure navigation.<\/p>\n