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FM spox: Islamabad MoU ‘gutted’ by US breaches of obligations
Iran said its recently signed Islamabad memorandum with the United States entered a state of crisis after Washington violated its commitments, while also saying talks on a mechanism for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz have failed due to US pressure on Oman.
Speaking during a weekly press conference in Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also warned that any territory used to launch attacks against Iran will face a response.
"Iran has never been the first to breach its obligations," Baqaei said. "Iran has approached every negotiation seriously, with good faith and with its national interests in mind. The party that broke its commitments is the United States." He added that Washington "was so impatient" that it did not even allow the one-month period stipulated in Article Five regarding the Strait of Hormuz to expire before beginning to backtrack on its commitments.
"The Americans gutted the 14-point memorandum of understanding, stripping away its key provisions," he said.
On June 18, Iran and the United States signed the MoU, which calls for a permanent end to hostilities across all fronts and includes a commitment from both sides to hold further talks on a final agreement within 60 days. Article 5 places responsibility for reopening and managing the Strait of Hormuz squarely in Iran's hands.
Baqaei added that, as a coastal state, Iran has "the right to take the necessary measures to safeguard its national interests."
"We will not allow the United States and the Israeli regime to use the Strait of Hormuz to harm Iran," the foreign ministry’s spokesman said.
"That is why we insisted that the management of the Strait should remain with Iran, in consultation with Oman, to ensure both Iran's interests and the safe passage of maritime traffic. Whatever has happened is the responsibility of the United States."
The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany also issued a joint statement calling for an immediate resumption of the ceasefire and talks between Iran and the United States.
The UK, France, and Germany, collectively known as the “European Troika” or E3, declared that respect for the sovereignty of territorial waters and freedom of navigation are fundamental principles of international law.
The statement, published early Monday morning, also supported the swift and full resumption of international maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz and expressed solidarity with the Persian Gulf Arab states and other regional partners. The E3 concluded by demanding the reinstatement of the ceasefire and urging both Iran and the United States to return to the negotiating table.