Tehran, Iran – Esmaeil Baghaei, Head of Iran’s Center for Public Diplomacy and a spokesperson for its Foreign Ministry, on Saturday sharply criticized the European Union for what he described as hypocritical claims regarding Iran’s alleged violations of international law.
Baghaei’s remarks came in response to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, who had asserted that “Under international law, transit through waterways like the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free of charge.”
“Spare the sermons,” Baghaei retorted, adding, “Europe’s chronic failure to practice what it preaches has turned its ‘international law’ talk into peak hypocrisy.”
He further contended that international law does not prohibit Iran from undertaking “necessary measures” to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz from military exploitation against the nation. Baghaei also accused the EU of overlooking potential violations of international law by the United States and Israel through what he termed a “war of aggression.”
“And ‘unconditional transit passage’ in Hormuz? That fiction sailed the moment US-Israeli aggression brought US military assets into the strait’s backyard,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, a separate development saw over 100 international law experts in the US, including academics from prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the University of California, express grave concerns. In a letter released earlier this month, they stated that the conduct of US forces and public statements by senior US officials “raise serious concerns about violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes.”
The experts’ letter specifically highlighted a mid-March comment from US President Donald Trump, who reportedly suggested the US might conduct strikes on Iran “just for fun.” It also referenced remarks from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in early March, where he stated that the US does not fight with “stupid rules of engagement.”
The letter concluded by noting the experts’ “serious concern about strikes that have hit schools, health facilities, and homes,” citing a particular strike on a school in Iran on the first day of the conflict.
(Reuters contributed to this report.)
#Iran #EU #InternationalLaw #StraitOfHormuz #USIsraelAggression #HumanRights #WarCrimes #Diplomacy #MiddleEast #Geopolitics