The European Union aims to work with regional partners to encourage Iran to act as a responsible power in the Middle East, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday, as the bloc is reimposing UN and EU sanctions.
Speaking at the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in Kuwait, Kallas said the reactivation of UN sanctions on Iran marked a setback but not the end of diplomacy.
She said Europe would continue outreach to Tehran and other stakeholders to pursue a sustainable negotiated solution to the nuclear dispute.
The EU’s decision follows the snapback of sanctions triggered by France, Germany and the United Kingdom last month over Iran’s breaches of the nuclear accord.
“The reimposition of restrictions must not be the end of diplomacy,” Kallas said, calling for continued dialogue to reduce tensions and re-establish Iran’s credibility in regional affairs.
Kallas also linked growing instability in the Red Sea to Iran’s regional activities, condemning renewed attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia on commercial vessels.
She said the EU’s naval mission, Operation Aspides, had so far protected more than 560 ships and would continue safeguarding key maritime routes vital to global trade.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who also attended the forum, accused Tehran of using the Houthis to project destabilizing influence across the Middle East.
He said the group’s attacks endangered both Israel and international shipping, urging joint EU-GCC action to address what he described as the root causes of regional insecurity.
Both officials emphasized the need for coordinated policy responses between Europe and Persian Gulf states, saying collective diplomacy and maritime cooperation were essential to preserving stability and countering escalation in the region.
