Iran rejects EU call to keep Hormuz open

Iran has pushed back against European calls to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, arguing it has the right to act in response to military threats.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued the response on X after Kaja Kallas said transit through key waterways “must remain open and free of charge” under international law.

“No rule of international law forbids Iran, the coastal State, from taking necessary measures to stop the Strait of Hormuz being used for waging military aggression against Iran,” Baghaei wrote.

“And ‘unconditional transit passage’ in Hormuz? That fiction sailed the moment US/Israeli aggression brought US military assets into the strait’s backyard,” he added.