Kallas Calls for Toll-Free, Unimpeded Hormuz Passage After Iran Meeting

Published on
23/09/2026 – 11:32 GMT+2

EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, focusing on diplomatic pathways to conclude the U.S.-Iran conflict and fully restore access to the Strait of Hormuz.

Following the meeting, Kallas took to X to state that vessels should not incur any charges for transiting the strait once hostilities cease. She emphasized that prior to the conflict, no tolls or fees were imposed, and stressed that navigation must remain “free and unimpeded” through both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the Red Sea’s southern entrance.

Kallas further disclosed that she addressed Iran’s internal repression with Araghchi, highlighting a significant increase in executions and death sentences.

Her meeting coincided with indirect negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials taking place alongside the UN General Assembly.

U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner participated in the talks, while Araghchi headed the Iranian delegation. Witkoff confirmed that a round of discussions had been successfully concluded, with another session anticipated in the near future.

During his address to the General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump characterized the decision to pursue a deal with Iran as a “big decision,” though he acknowledged that significant differences persist between the two nations.

Iran’s parliament has enacted legislation imposing fines on vessels transiting the strait without authorization, a measure that directly contradicts Kallas’s appeal for toll-free navigation.

Iranian-supported Houthi forces have intensified their assaults on Saudi Arabia, thereby opening a second front in the conflict that commenced in February.

The European External Action Service affirmed that Kallas arrived in New York bearing a unified message: international law and the UN Charter must be upheld, national sovereignty and territorial integrity respected, and breaches of international law held accountable.

Kallas, alongside European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, represented the European Union at the eighth trilateral gathering with the African Union and the United Nations on Sunday. The trio also engaged in discussions with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

On Tuesday, the three EU leaders participated in the opening of the General Debate. Kallas subsequently co-chaired a high-level forum on global food security and Black Sea stability, joined by representatives from Ukraine, France, and Romania. On Wednesday, she is set to co-host the annual EU-CELAC foreign ministers’ meeting alongside Uruguay’s foreign minister, in addition to a ministerial session focused on maritime security.

This year’s session unfolds under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”

Nearly 130 heads of state and government are slated to address the General Debate, which continues through September 28.

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