Iran on Total Defence Alert, Ghalibaf Accuses US of Reneging on MoU

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has asserted that the Islamic Republic of Iran is on alert for total defence. The strong statement came as a response to the United States’ actions, which are deemed to have reneged on a recently agreed memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the cessation of hostilities. Ghalibaf conveyed this firm stance while receiving a visit from the Speaker of Indonesia’s People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Ahmad Muzani, in Tehran, Iran, on Friday (10/7/2026). He stressed that Iran would not remain silent if its sovereignty was threatened by the violation of international commitments. “We have never stopped defending our country. Whenever America reneges on the memorandum of understanding, we will be ready for total defence,” Ghalibaf asserted before the Indonesian delegation. The situation in the Middle East region has heated up again after US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched an attack on Iranian territory this week. Washington claims the attack was retaliation for Iran’s actions against commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In response to the attack, Iranian forces carried out retaliatory action by targeting a number of United States military bases located in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. This exchange of attacks marks the outbreak of the second open conflict between the two countries since the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was agreed in mid-June 2026. Tensions escalated further after US President Donald Trump explicitly stated that the peace agreement was no longer valid. On Thursday (9/7/2026), Trump confirmed that the ceasefire between the US and Iran had ended, automatically increasing the risk of a large-scale war. On the other hand, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on all parties to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from worsening. Pezeshkian accused the US and Israel of deliberately carrying out provocative actions that could damage regional stability. The international community continues to monitor developments in Tehran and Washington, given that this escalation involves US military bases in several countries neighbouring Iran, which could trigger a wider regional security crisis.