Iran accuses EU of hypocrisy and double standards over sanctions

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said that the European Union’s anti-Iran sanctions demonstrate “double standards” and hypocrisy within the international community.

Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that lifting sanctions on Iran is premature, adding that the EU first wants to see a “fundamental change” in behaviour from Tehran. Under the current restrictive measures, the EU has placed several hundred Iranian individuals and entities on its sanctions list, which includes asset freezes and travel bans to EU countries.

EU’s inhuman sanctions on Iran were never about “human rights” — they were designed to trample the basic rights of ordinary Iranians. No one is buying this tired moral theater.

Such posturing won’t earn you—or your constituency—an ounce of credibility on the world stage.

If… pic.twitter.com/d6aZc70w4Q

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) April 27, 2026

Writing on X, Baghaei emphasised that “inhuman” EU sanctions against Iran have never been related to “human rights” and were instead designed “to trample the basic rights of ordinary Iranians.” He added: “No one is buying this tired moral theater.”

“Such posturing won’t earn you—or your constituency—an ounce of credibility on the world stage. If anything, it only further demonstrates Europe's ruling class' double-standard & hypocrisy, and hastens Europe’s embarrassing descent into irrelevance,” Baghaei said.

In a separate post, the spokesperson also described the seizure of Iranian commercial vessels in international waters and the detention of their crews by the United States as “piracy.”

This is the outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas.
Welcome to the return of the pirates — only now, they operate with government-issued warrants, sail under official flags, and call their plunder “law enforcement.”
The United States must be held fully… pic.twitter.com/5xACMKs45M

— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) April 27, 2026

“Welcome to the return of the pirates — only now, they operate with government-issued warrants, sail under official flags, and call their plunder 'law enforcement.’

The United States must be held fully accountable for this brazenly lawless behavior, which strikes at the heart of international law & international free trade, and threatens the basic principles of maritime security,” he added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada