TEHRAN – Iran issued a sharp warning to European nations on Monday against any interference in matters related to the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at his weekly press conference in Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei addressed the deployment of French and British naval vessels to the region. He said Tehran has communicated very clearly to European countries that they should not allow provocations by the United States and Israel to drag them into a crisis from which they would derive no benefit.

"We have told European countries very explicitly not to let the temptations of the US and the Zionist regime regarding regional issues draw them into an unwanted crisis that will not serve their interests," Baqaei said.

He added that many European nations are already aware that the recent war against Iran was illegal, aggressive, and immoral. He noted that European countries have so far resisted US pressure to become — at least openly — part of 'an unlawful act' that undermines international peace and security.

"Any interference in issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and West Asia will only make the situation more complicated," the spokesman said.

Baqaei argued that any country claiming to act responsibly toward international peace and security, as well as the welfare of its own citizens and economy, should direct its pressure toward those who initially disrupted safe maritime navigation.

"The problem stems from the aggressive actions of the United States and the Zionist regime," he said. "Otherwise, the Strait of Hormuz was open before February 28."

Responding to questions about President Donald Trump's upcoming trip to China, Baqaei described the visit as a bilateral matter between Washington and Beijing. However, he said China understands that pressure on Iran is "not a temporary issue" but rather part of a broader global effort to intensify American unilateralism — effectively ruling out a Chinese mediation role between Iran and the United States.

On the US decision to remove more than 13.5 kilograms of enriched uranium from Venezuela, Baqaei said the material was taken from a power plant inactive since 1997 and that the move was carried out at the request of the Venezuelan government. Iran respects that decision, he added.

Regarding reports of the terrorist groups' movements in Iraq, the spokesman said Iran remains in continuous contact with both the central government in Baghdad and the authorities in Iraq's Kurdistan region over border security.

"All admit that any insecurity in the region surrounding us will have consequences for every regional country," Baqaei said. "This consensus paves the way for helpful cooperation between regional countries, including Iran and Iraq."

He also addressed reports of an Israeli military base inside Iraq that was used for attacks against Iran during the recent war, describing the issue as "important" and saying it would be taken up with Iraqi officials.

On Qatar's reported efforts to help end the war, Baqaei added that multiple countries have reached out to Tehran but clarified that Pakistan remains the sole official mediator in the Iran-US talks.

The spokesman forcefully denied Western media reports claiming that Iran had released oil into the sea after the storage reached full capacity, calling the accounts "sheer lies."

Asked about recent remarks by President Trump, who criticized predecessors Barack Obama and Joe Biden for giving Iran "hundreds of billions of dollars," Baqaei said the Iranian people have no positive memory of any US administration.

"No American ruler has brought smiles to the Iranian people's faces," he said.