Tehran accuses EU's Kallas of reckless diplomacy

Iran branded comments by European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas as reckless after she described the Islamic Republic as a serious threat during a visit to Israel earlier this week, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

“Unlike her predecessors, who tried to reflect EU positions with at least some regard for international legal principles, Ms. Kallas speaks recklessly,” Baghaei said. “Even if her words stem from inexperience, they still harm Europe’s image in the eyes of any neutral observer.”

Kallas, speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday, said Iran posed a grave danger to both the region and the world.

“On Iran, we agree the immense threat Iran poses to the region and global stability. Iran is a threat also supporting Russia's war in Ukraine,” she said. “Iran must never be allowed to acquire or build a nuclear weapon. And EU supports all diplomatic efforts to that effect.”

Sa’ar called for European support against Iran and its regional allies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. “We are now fighting the war of the free world,” he said. “The war is against Western civilization—against its values and its ways of life.”

Earlier this month, Kallas called for a renewed international nuclear agreement with Iran, similar to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), just days after former US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of military action to dismantle the deal.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council session on EU-UN cooperation, Kallas said: “The constant expansion of Iran’s nuclear programme fully contradicts Iran’s own commitments as endorsed by the Security Council.”