Iran-US: Iran Declares US Memorandum of Understanding Invalid Amid Rising Tensions
Tehran says Washington violated every commitment under the agreement, rules out fresh negotiations and vows to defend the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials address the media as tensions with the United States escalate.
Iran-US tensions escalated on Wednesday after Iran formally declared that its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States is no longer valid, accusing Washington of violating all of its commitments under the agreement.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said Tehran no longer considers itself bound by the MoU, arguing that repeated US actions had effectively dismantled the agreement.
“The non-implementation of one clause was enough to dismantle the entire agreement, and now the United States has violated all its commitments,” Gharibabadi said.
He added that Iran no longer has any obligations under the agreement because Washington had failed to honour its commitments.
The announcement followed growing political pressure inside Iran, where around 180 lawmakers urged the government to formally dissolve the agreement after the latest escalation in tensions with the United States.
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According to Gharibabadi, the MoU aimed to end hostilities, reduce regional tensions and restore stability, including in Lebanon. He accused the United States of undermining those objectives through continued military operations and the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Gharibabadi also rejected calls for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing such demands as unreasonable. He said Tehran would not seek renewed negotiations with Washington and insisted that military pressure and economic sanctions would not force Iran back to the negotiating table.
The deputy foreign minister reaffirmed Iran’s determination to maintain full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, describing the strategic waterway as vital to the country’s national security. He said Iran would exercise control over the passage during wartime regardless of international pressure.
The latest developments represent another setback for diplomatic efforts launched earlier this year. Tehran says the objectives of the MoU have collapsed because of continued US actions, despite the agreement’s stated aim of reducing conflict and restoring maritime security.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected recent claims by US President Donald Trump that Washington had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities.
In a televised address, Pezeshkian questioned whether the United States had achieved its military objectives and vowed that Iran would continue defending its territory.
“We will defend every inch of our homeland with our actions,” he said.
The Iranian president also criticised what he described as threatening rhetoric from Washington and called on the nation to preserve unity in response to external pressure. He said national solidarity remained Iran’s strongest defence against foreign threats.
