Foreign Ministry: All Commitments Under U.S. Accord Suspended
TEHRAN – Iran has suspended all its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, which violated the agreement by resuming military aggression against Iranian territory, officials said on Saturday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran has never been the first party to violate any agreement, stressing that as with the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), it was the United States that first broke its commitments under the new memorandum.
He added that the agreement was based on reciprocal implementation of commitments, and no country can be expected to uphold its obligations unilaterally while the other side fails to do the same.
“We made it clear that commitment is met with commitment. Since the United States violated its obligations, Iran will not fulfill its commitments either, as this is a reciprocal action,” Baghaei said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Washington has effectively abandoned all of its obligations under the 14-point agreement signed last month through Pakistani mediation, prompting Tehran to halt implementation of its own commitments.
“None of those commitments are currently being implemented,” he said.
Baghaei emphasized that Paragraph 5 of the MoU clearly stipulated that Iran, in consultation with Oman and through dialogue with regional states, would be responsible for developing mechanisms for managing the strategic waterway.
He noted that the memorandum contained no provision allowing the United States to establish an independent shipping route or assume a separate management role in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Baghaei, the agreement envisioned a 30-day period to restore normal shipping conditions and implement safe navigation mechanisms. However, before that period expired, the United States launched military operations against Iran, bypassing the coordinated shipping routes established with Tehran.
He stressed that Iran’s measures in the Strait of Hormuz were taken in line with its responsibility to safeguard maritime security and prevent the waterway from being used for military operations against the country. Under international law, Iran has the right as a littoral state to take necessary measures to protect its national security.
Regarding the future of talks with Washington, Gharibabadi said Tehran had been engaged in negotiations before the United States breached its commitments and resumed aggression last week.
“What lies before us now is the resolute defense of the country and teaching the aggressors a lesson,” he said, adding that Washington