The EU foreign policy chief, in a meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, emphasized the need to ensure freedom of navigation and raised internal repression in Iran.

In an X post, Kaja Kallas said she discussed the diplomatic outlook and maritime security with Abbas Araqchi. She added: “Shipping must be free and without hindrance, both in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait.”

Kallas also wrote that she raised “internal repression in Iran, including a sharp increase in executions and death sentences.”

On Saturday, the Islamic Republic executed Hossein Padaran on alleged charges of spying for Israel. Amnesty International said that since the attacks by the United States and Israel on 9 Esfand, at least 41 people have been executed after trials that were “highly unfair,” on political charges.