Tehran [Iran], July 9 (ANI): Iran on Wednesday (local time) accused the United States of violating commitments under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying Tehran would continue to defend its national interests and sovereignty following remarks by US President Donald Trump.
Responding to Trump’s comments on Iran, Baghaei said the understanding between Tehran and Washington was never based on trust but on the principle of “commitment for commitment”, alleging that the US had breached the agreement through unilateral actions.
Quoting a verse from the Quran, Baghaei on X wrote, “And whether you fear treachery from a people, then throw [their treaty] back to them [on equal terms]. Indeed, Allah does not like traitors. (Al-Anfal, 58).”
“The memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, from its very first step, was not established on the basis of trust, but rather on the clear mechanism of ‘commitment for commitment’; because there was no sign of good faith in the opposing side’s behavior,” he said.
Baghaei alleged that Washington had challenged the fifth clause of the memorandum, which, according to him, highlights Iran’s responsibility in determining arrangements for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Now, the United States, despite the explicit provision of the fifth clause of this memorandum–which emphasizes the Islamic Republic of Iran’s responsibility in determining arrangements for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz–has challenged this clause and, in practice, violated the agreement’s structure through its unilateral actions and also aggressive attacks against Iran,” he wrote.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will steadfastly pursue the protection of its national interests and the exercise of its sovereignty,” he added.
https://x.com/IRIMFA_SPOX/status/2074899998269923339
Furthermore, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, also criticised Trump, saying his remarks reflected the failure of a policy based on pressure and threats.
“Trump’s statements today, from insulting the Iranian nation to threatening further attacks, are not a sign of strength, but rather an admission of the failure of a policy built on brute force, sanctions, and threats for years, which could not bring the Iranian nation to its knees,” Gharibabadi said.
“With the criminal and murderous Trump, one must speak in his own language; apparently, he understands the language of force better!” he added.
https://x.com/Gharibabadi/status/2074894984847716562
The statements from Iranian officials came after Trump said he did not expect the conflict with Iran to resume despite declaring that the ceasefire agreement was effectively “over” for him.
Speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of the 2026 NATO Summit in Turkiye, Trump said, “I don’t think it’s going to start again. I think it’s going to go very quickly. They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder. When they hit, we hit 10 times harder.”
Trump also claimed he was “number one” on Tehran’s kill list, saying, “You should have told me that years ago; everybody wouldn’t have run, it’s a very dangerous profession, no, I’m number one on the kill list for Iran.”
The US President said he was becoming less interested in pursuing a diplomatic agreement with Tehran, adding, “I think more than anything else is I got to know them — and I’m not sure I want to make a deal with them. We can play games, but I’m not sure I want to make a deal. Let’s just finish the job.”
Trump further described Iranian leadership as “crazy” and said any future military action would be brief and aimed at improving regional security. (ANI)
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