Iran Accuses US of Easily Breaking Promises After MoU Violation

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has stated that the United States, not Iran, was the first party to violate the commitments made in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two countries last month. Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday (13/7), Baqaei discussed recent regional developments, particularly what he described as new US aggression against Iran, which he said breaches the latest agreement and contradicts international law. Responding to a question about the future of the MoU following the past week’s developments and US military actions, Baqaei said there is no doubt that the understanding has entered a crisis stage. He added that Iran has never been the first party to violate its obligations. Baqaei explained that the Islamic Republic of Iran always approaches negotiations seriously and prioritises the interests of the Iranian people. Therefore, he said, Tehran acted in good faith by signing the memorandum in Islamabad. Baqaei accused the United States of not honouring its promises. According to him, Washington was so impatient in violating the agreement that it did not wait for the one-month period stipulated in Article 5 of the MoU regarding Iran’s obligations in the Strait of Hormuz, and began breaching the deal from the very first days. Referring to the 14-point memorandum, he said Iran has affirmed it will remain committed to the agreement as long as the other party fulfils its obligations. No one can accuse the Islamic Republic of breaking its promises, he stated. Regarding statements by US President Donald Trump, Baqaei rejected claims that the recent talks between Iran and Oman covered issues beyond the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, no other subject was discussed during the Muscat talks, which were held within the framework of Paragraph 5 of the MoU. He said lying has become part of the US government’s pattern of behaviour, and unfortunately, they have become addicted to it. The statement was made in response to Trump’s claim that the Iranian delegation in Muscat had agreed to everything, including nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz, but then attacked ships two hours later. Baqaei stressed that Iran’s effort was to establish a joint mechanism with Oman to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. However, he said, this effort could not be achieved due to both overt and covert pressure exerted by the United States on Oman.