EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated on Wednesday that the renewed tensions between the US and Iran could complicate ongoing negotiations to end the war. In a post on the social media platform X, Kallas wrote, "The exchanges of fire between the US and Iran further complicate already fraught talks to end the war. Iran’s attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait are unacceptable."
Iranian Attacks and Violations
Kallas pointed out that Iran had committed to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but its recent attacks on ships near the strategic waterway violate that commitment and threaten to disrupt the resumption of energy supplies. She called for freedom of navigation to be unimpeded. The EU foreign policy chief also announced that next Monday, EU Foreign Ministers will meet with their Gulf counterparts to discuss how to support the implementation of the agreement and preserve freedom of navigation in the Strait as well as the Red Sea.
Military Escalation
Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched a missile and drone operation targeting 85 US military sites, including Salman Port, the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait. In response, the US military said it carried out a new wave of strikes against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets in retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the strikes were conducted "in immediate response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz."
Background of the Conflict
Iran and the US reached a memorandum of understanding on June 17 aimed at ending their military conflict, which began late February. However, the recent exchanges of fire have raised concerns about the viability of the agreement.
