The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the European Union’s "hypocrisy" and "double standards" following remarks by the head of EU foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, who accused Tehran of sowing chaos.
Esmaeil Baqaei, the ministry’s spokesperson, stated on social media that the EU has "lost its moral and political compass" by appeasing aggressors and war criminals instead of confronting them.
He added that Iran is under attack by brutal aggressors and has the international right to defend its people.
The US recently admitted to launching what it claimed to be "preventive" attacks against Iran in coordination with Israel, citing claims that Tehran was planning to act first.
Smoke billows in the distance from an oil refinery following an Israeli strike on the Iranian capital Tehran on June 17, 2025. Credit: Belga / AFP
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that aiding the Iranian people, who have faced violent repression during anti-regime protests since December, is not the aim of these actions.
Baqaei also emphasised that Iran does not indiscriminately target its Gulf neighbours but strikes infrastructure and bases allegedly used for attacks against Iran.
Strategy of chaos
During a press conference in Warsaw alongside Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, Kallas expressed concern about an Iranian ballistic missile fired towards Turkey.
He accused Iran’s regime of pursuing a strategy of "chaos" and destabilising the region by attacking its neighbours indiscriminately.
Sikorski criticised Iran’s actions, describing them as a "mistake" to provoke nations, including NATO members, that have not been hostile towards Tehran.
Turkey’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that a missile launched from Iran, heading for Turkish airspace, was intercepted and neutralised by NATO defence systems stationed in the eastern Mediterranean.
