WANA (Apr 19) – Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has sharply criticized European calls for “unconditional transit passage” in the Strait of Hormuz, labeling such demands as hypocritical in the wake of military aggression against Iran.

 

Criticism of European “Hypocrisy”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Baghaei dismissed recent statements by European officials regarding international law. He accused the European Union of using legal rhetoric to “lecture others” while simultaneously “green-lighting a U.S.-Israeli war of aggression” and ignoring atrocities committed against the Iranian people.

 

“Spare the sermons; Europe’s chronic failure to practice what it preaches has turned its ‘international law’ talk into peak hypocrisy,” Baghaei stated.

 

Legal Defense of Maritime Restrictions

The spokesperson argued that as a coastal state, Iran is legally entitled to protect its security interests. He asserted that no rule of international law prevents Iran from taking the “necessary measures” to stop the strategic waterway from being used as a platform for military aggression against the country.

 

The End of “Unconditional Transit”

Responding directly to a post by Kaja Kallas—who argued that the Strait must remain open and free of charge under international law—Baghaei declared the concept of “unconditional transit passage” to be a fiction.

 

“That fiction sailed the moment U.S./Israeli aggression brought U.S. military assets into the strait’s backyard,” Baghaei wrote, signaling that Iran no longer considers traditional transit norms applicable under current wartime conditions.