New York: European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with discussions focusing on diplomatic prospects for ending the US-Iran war and fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on X, Kallas said there had been no tolls or fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz before the war and argued that no such charges should be imposed after the conflict.
She stressed that navigation must remain free and unimpeded through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, two strategically important waterways for international shipping.
Kallas also said she raised concerns about domestic repression in Iran, particularly what she described as a sharp rise in executions and death sentences.
The meeting came amid diplomatic efforts at the UN General Assembly aimed at exploring a possible end to the ongoing US-Iran conflict and restoring normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.