Iran Slams EU 'Hypocrisy' Over Demand for Free Hormuz Passage

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei sharply criticized the European Union on Saturday for what he called "peak hypocrisy" in invoking international law to demand free transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Baghaei was responding to a post by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who stated that transit through key waterways must remain open and free of charge, warning that any pay-for-passage scheme would set a dangerous precedent for global maritime routes. Iran rejected the demand, asserting that as a coastal state, it has the right to regulate movement in the strategic waterway amid ongoing tensions with the United States and Israel. The exchange comes as Iran re-imposed strict controls on the Strait of Hormuz, which carries nearly a fifth of the world's oil and gas supply, in response to a US naval blockade on Iranian ports. The Islamic Republic had previously closed the strait for 49 days following the outbreak of war on February 28 before briefly reopening it. Baghaei argued that the concept of unconditional transit passage has become invalid because US-Israeli military operations in the region have used the waterway for aggression against Iran. The Revolutionary Guard subsequently announced the strait would remain closed, warning that any approaching vessel could be targeted. Meanwhile, over 100 international law experts in the United States, including scholars from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the University of California, released a letter expressing serious concerns that conduct by US forces and statements by senior officials may have violated international humanitarian law and potentially constitute war crimes. The letter specifically cited a mid-March comment from President Donald Trump suggesting the US might conduct strikes on Iran "just for fun," as well as remarks by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissing constraints on military engagement. The experts noted that strikes have hit civilian infrastructure in Iran, including a school on the first day of the conflict, underscoring the broader legal complexities underlying the Hormuz dispute. Speaker of the Iranian parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that a final peace deal remains "far" off unless the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.