EU 'ready to contribute' to possible US-Iran deal via maritime operations, economic incentives

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday said that the bloc is "ready to contribute" to a possible deal between the US and Iran through "maritime operations, and economic incentives."

"I see a concrete role for the EU in helping to make any eventual agreement durable, whether through maritime operations, economic incentives that support long-term stability or other issues," she said, while addressing a joint press stakeout with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.

"European Union is ready to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful solution," she added.

"We bring economic leverage, hard-won nuclear expertise, long-standing relationships with partners across the Gulf, and direct engagement with Iran itself," she said.

Kallas added that any "temporary" understanding between the US and Iran must be followed by "deeper" talks about Tehran's nuclear stockpile and other critical issues.

Kallas, who serves as vice-president of the Euro­pean Commission and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, hailed Islamabad's continued mediatory efforts that "have helped to prevent a return to full-blown war on several occasions."

"With your support, there is now a tenuous diplomatic opening to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz," she maintained, adding that lasting stability will require "more encompassing" solutions to the conflict.