Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has said that the European Union’s (EU) statement blaming Iran for “exercising its right to self-defense against US aggression launched from bases in neighboring countries is a masterclass in selective moral outrage; it is hypocritical and reckless”.

“The EU must remain faithful to the rule of law and the principles of the UN Charter that it has long claimed to uphold. It must stop appeasing aggressors while blaming those who respond to unlawful attacks,” he said.

“Iran’s strikes against those bases and assets that are used to launch unlawful attacks against Iran are a lawful exercise of self-defense. States have an established legal obligation not to allow their territory or assets to be used for invading other countries,” he said.