Iran on Monday accused European countries, including France, of creating the conditions that led to the United States and Israel attacking the Islamic republic and triggering a war. Meanwhile, the price of oil is soaring, and attacks on Iran’s oil infrastructure continue.
"European countries have unfortunately helped create these conditions," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, during a weekly press briefing.
"Instead of insisting on the rule of law, instead of standing up to the bullying and excesses of the United States, they spoke and agreed with them at the UN Security Council regarding the discussion on restoring sanctions, and all these things together emboldened the American and Zionist parties to continue committing their crimes."
In turn, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says that “Iran’s war effects are already a reality in Europe."
Oil prices soared on Monday, with Brent crude peaking just short of $120 (€103) a barrel as the US-Israeli war against Iran continued into a second week and Tehran launching fresh retaliatory strikes in the Gulf.
In a meeting with EU ambassadors, von der Leyen said that the EU is "now seeing a regional conflict with unintended consequences. And the spillover is already a reality today".
"Our citizens are caught in the crossfire. Our partners are being attacked," she said, citing an Iranian-made drone hitting a British base on EU-member Cyprus, trade disruptions and the "displacement of people".
Strait of Hormuz
While Iran has not officially shut off the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world's crude supplies and a substantial amount of gas run – shipping through the critical waterway has all but dried up.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they would not allow the export of oil from the region to allies of the US and Israel as long as the war continues, according to a report from Iran's Tasnim news agency on Tuesday.
European gas prices jumped as much as 30 percent on Monday, albeit remaining well below the peaks reached in the aftermath of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Von der Leyen stressed that "there should be no tears shed for the Iranian regime".
"The people of Iran deserve freedom, dignity, and the right to decide their own future – even if we know this will be fraught with danger and instability during and after the war".
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told US broadcaster PBS News that his country was prepared to continue attacks for as long as necessary and ruled out talks after President Donald Trump said the war with Iran would be over "very soon".
Oil depots targeted
Meanwhile, residents of Tehran are facing the aftermath of another relentless volley of Israeli attacks on oil depots outside the Iranian capital.
On Sunday, they woke up to find it was still dark outside, an apocalyptic sight created by thick black smoke billowing from oil depots hit by Israeli strikes.
With the sun blotted out, disoriented people in the Iranian capital had to turn on their lights to see through the gloom.
"I thought my alarm clock was broken," a driver in his fifties told French press agency AFP on condition of anonymity.
The fuel depot strikes are the first time Iranian oil infrastructure has been targeted during the nine-day war.
(with newswires)
