Phoenix 24
Europe links maritime security, diplomacy and human rights in talks with Tehran.
New York, United States.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has urged Iran to guarantee free and unobstructed navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after meeting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The talks focused on diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between the United States and Iran and restore normal maritime traffic through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
Kallas said commercial vessels should not be required to pay for passage once the conflict ends, recalling that ships crossed the strait without tolls before the war. She extended the principle to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the strategic passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Her position places freedom of navigation at the center of the European Union’s response to instability affecting global trade and energy supplies.
The dispute has acquired additional significance after Iran’s parliament approved rules allowing authorities to fine vessels crossing Hormuz without authorization. That approach conflicts directly with the European position that international navigation should remain open and free from politically imposed charges. The difference illustrates how control of maritime corridors has become part of the broader confrontation surrounding Iran.
Kallas also raised domestic human rights issues during her meeting with Araghchi. According to Euronews, she expressed concern about a sharp increase in executions and death sentences inside Iran. The discussion therefore combined regional security questions with the European Union’s continuing criticism of Tehran’s internal repression.
The meeting took place while American and Iranian representatives were holding indirect negotiations in New York. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner participated on Washington’s side, while Araghchi headed the Iranian delegation. Witkoff said the parties had successfully concluded one round of discussions and expected another to follow, although substantial differences remain.
Tehran has simultaneously accused European governments of applying double standards to the regional conflict. During separate meetings in New York, Araghchi criticized European countries for condemning Iran while, in his view, failing to respond adequately to military actions by the United States and Israel. Those statements represent Iran’s position and remain contested by European governments.
The Strait of Hormuz is central to the negotiations because disruptions there have consequences far beyond the Middle East. Restrictions on shipping can affect oil and gas supplies, freight costs, insurance premiums and inflation across Europe and Asia.
The diplomatic challenge is therefore broader than reopening a maritime route. Washington, Tehran and European governments must determine whether freedom of navigation can be separated from the wider military and political confrontation.
Geopolítica, sin maquillaje. / Geopolitics, unmasked.