The European Union aims to work with regional partners to encourage Iran to act as a responsible power in the Middle East, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday, as the bloc is reimposing UN and EU sanctions.
Speaking at the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in Kuwait, Kallas said the reactivation of UN sanctions on Iran marked a setback but not the end of diplomacy.
She said Europe would continue outreach to Tehran and other stakeholders to pursue a sustainable negotiated solution to the nuclear dispute.
The EU’s decision follows the snapback of sanctions triggered by France, Germany and the United Kingdom last month over Iran’s breaches of the nuclear accord.
“The reimposition of restrictions must not be the end of diplomacy,” Kallas said, calling for continued dialogue to reduce tensions and re-establish Iran’s credibility in regional affairs.
Kallas also linked growing instability in the Red Sea to Iran’s regional activities, condemning renewed attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia on commercial vessels.
She said the EU’s naval mission, Operation Aspides, had so far protected more than 560 ships and would continue safeguarding key maritime routes vital to global trade.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who also attended the forum, accused Tehran of using the Houthis to project destabilizing influence across the Middle East.
He said the group’s attacks endangered both Israel and international shipping, urging joint EU-GCC action to address what he described as the root causes of regional insecurity.
Both officials emphasized the need for coordinated policy responses between Europe and Persian Gulf states, saying collective diplomacy and maritime cooperation were essential to preserving stability and countering escalation in the region.
Trump’s public remarks amounted to an admission of “a criminal and illegal act” that only reinforced America’s image as a violator of international law, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said during his weekly briefing.
“It will be clear to the international community and to the Iranian nation that the United States is a law-breaking country,” Baghaei added. “We have no plan for negotiations.”
The spokesman was speaking a day after Trump told at a ceremony marking the 250th anniversary of the US Navy at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia that he would not wait so long next time to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.
“We’ll have to take care of that too if they do,” Trump said, referring to Tehran’s potential resumption of nuclear activity. “You want to do that, it’s fine, but we’re going to take care of that and we’re not going to wait so long,” he told sailors gathered at the base.
Tehran faults IAEA report
A recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its subsequent use by the United States and three European countries -- Britain, France, and Germany -- created a pretext for further attacks, Baghaei said.
The IAEA, according to the spokesman, should have condemned the US and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites. “The report enabled the US and the European trio to exploit the situation to their advantage.”
Iran announced Sunday that its Cairo agreement with the IAEA for limited cooperation was no longer valid.
Tehran was now focused on assessing the consequences of Western actions and that no active inspections were taking place inside Iran, said the Iranian diplomat. “The Cairo arrangement is no longer functional or enforceable,” he added.
Iran lashes out at European governments
Baghaei accused the three European powers of acting irresponsibly and using the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’s (JCPOA) dispute mechanism to impose Washington’s demands.
“All three conditions set by the Europeans were unreasonable,” he said, adding that Iran nonetheless agreed to engage the IAEA “based on safeguard commitments.”
The understanding reached with the agency, as put by Baghaei, had initially been welcomed in Europe but was later rejected under US pressure. “The Europeans could not prove themselves as mature and independent negotiating parties.”
On Gaza, detainees, and diplomacy
Turning to regional issues, Baghaei said Iran welcomed “any initiative that can stop the genocide in Gaza and enable humanitarian assistance.”
He also confirmed ongoing diplomatic efforts for the release of Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari and two French citizens detained in Iran.
Baghaei concluded by saying Iran would never “plead for negotiations.” “Diplomacy is a two-way process… We will use it only when we determine it serves our national interests.”
