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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Conflict & Security

Iran Rebuffs EU Demands Over Strait of Hormuz Blockade

From Tempo · (2d ago) Indonesian Critical tone

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Iran has rejected demands from the EU to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which it blockaded after a US naval action.
  • EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for adherence to international law, but Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed the remarks.
  • Iran argues it has the right to self-defense and that 'unconditional transit' is impossible after US military actions in the region.

The Iranian government has firmly rejected the European Union's demands to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in the strategic waterway. The blockade, initiated by Iran in response to a U.S. naval action against its ports, has significantly disrupted global energy supplies and sent shockwaves through international markets.

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 — and looking the other way on atrocities against Iranians?!

— Esmaeil BaghaeiResponding to EU's call for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and adhering to international law.

Senior EU diplomat Kaja Kallas urged Iran to adhere to international law and ensure the free passage of maritime traffic. However, these calls were met with sharp criticism from Tehran. Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, derided the EU's invocation of 'international law,' questioning its application when, in his view, the EU has tacitly supported a U.S.-Israeli war and overlooked actions against Iranians.

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.

— Esmaeil BaghaeiJustifying Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Baghaei asserted Iran's right as a coastal state to take necessary measures to prevent the Strait of Hormuz from being used for military aggression against the Islamic Republic. He argued that 'unconditional transit passage' is no longer feasible following the presence of U.S. military assets in the region due to what Iran terms 'U.S./Israeli aggression.' This stance highlights Iran's perception of a defensive posture against perceived external threats.

Unconditional transit passage through Hormuz was not possible after U.S./Israeli aggression brought U.S. military assets into the strait’s backyard.

— Esmaeil BaghaeiExplaining Iran's position on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The crisis has prompted a joint statement from several countries demanding the immediate reopening of the Strait. This follows an international summit convened in Paris. Meanwhile, peace talks between the U.S. and Iran have collapsed, with Tehran's nuclear enrichment program remaining a core point of contention. President Masoud Pezeshkian has also criticized the U.S. for attempting to deny Iran its nuclear rights, framing it as an infringement on national sovereignty.

Trump says Iran cannot make use of its nuclear rights, but doesn’t say for what crime. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?

— Masoud PezeshkianCriticizing US stance on Iran's nuclear program.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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