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".
Baqaei also claimed that Iran "does not indiscriminately target its Gulf neighbours" but said that it "strikes infrastructure and bases used for attacks against Iran".
The US launched what it claims to be preventive attacks against Iran in coordination with Israel, arguing 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
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.
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.
