Ankara: Iran accused the European Union early Tuesday of abandoning its legal and political independence by siding with Washington on sanctions against Tehran. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baqai stated that the bloc appears to be 'surrendering its sovereignty, its laws and regulations, its values, and its ethics to American coercion.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Baqai expressed his concerns on the US social media platform X, highlighting the EU's own Blocking Statute, which is designed to protect European businesses from certain foreign sanctions' extraterritorial application. He questioned the EU's support for unilateral US measures against Iran, given its legislation that opposes such extraterritorial restrictions.

Baqai recalled that in 1996, the EU had taken a different stance when it adopted the Blocking Statute in response to US sanctions. 'Today it has become an accessory to Washington's lawless conduct,' he remarked. He also cautioned that EU member states might face accountability for the outcomes of supporting US economic measures against Iran.

Baqai further criticized the EU for supporting Washington's pressure campaign while simultaneously advocating for de-escalation and regional stability, stating these are 'mutually exclusive' positions. His comments followed the recent rise in regional tensions due to US strikes on Iran's Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz, which Iranian media reported resulted in two fatalities and two injuries.

In response, Iran announced retaliatory attacks on sites used by US forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Last month, US President Donald Trump introduced what he described as 'the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,' as part of his maximum pressure campaign against Iran. Trump warned countries providing Iran with economic support through financial institutions, businesses, or government entities of severe economic repercussions.