Baqaei says Iran will not honor MOU obligations as long as US violations continue

TEHRAN — Iran said on Monday that it will not fulfill its obligations under the Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States as long as Washington continues to violate its commitments, with the Foreign Ministry warning that the agreement has now entered “a crisis phase”.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told a press conference in Tehran that the country’s position has remained unchanged from the outset.“We have said from the beginning that it is a matter of ‘commitment in exchange for commitment.’ If the other party (US) adheres to its commitments, we will also fulfill our commitments,” Baqaei said in his comments cited by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.“No one can accuse the Islamic Republic of Iran of violating agreements. In all cases, our obligations and those of the other party are clear and can be documented,” he said, accusing Washington of “violating various sections” of the memorandum “under different pretexts.”The spokesperson’s remarks come against the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Gulf.“As long as the other party continues to violate its commitments, the Islamic Republic of Iran will, in turn, refrain from fulfilling the obligations it has undertaken,” Baqaei said, spelling out Tehran’s position in explicit terms.He warned that the memorandum of understanding had entered “a crisis phase.”Commenting on recent diplomatic contacts, Baqaei said diplomacy remained “an available tool” despite the military escalation.“Diplomacy is an instrument that never stops. We will use every means to protect our national interests,” he said, adding that the mediators’ task is to continue their efforts to prevent an escalation of tensions.He said Iran had held meetings with Qatari and Omani officials in recent days and remained in contact with Pakistan.Baqaei claimed that Tehran had not carried out attacks against neighboring countries.“We have not attacked any country in the region, and we will not attack them,” he said.The spokesman said Iran’s military actions “targeted only bases, facilities, and sites used by the United States to launch attacks on Iran, including logistical and support facilities.”“Any area or any part of any country that is used to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran will, as a general rule, be subject to Iran’s defensive measures,” he added.The warning came amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington after the US launched strikes on military and infrastructure targets across Iran in response to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting US military facilities in regional countries, while accusing Washington of repeatedly violating the mutual commitments.The June 17 memorandum had been intended to de-escalate hostilities between the two countries and restore secure passage through the strait.Monday’s statement from Tehran signals that the fragile arrangement, already strained by weeks of tit-for-tat strikes, is now effectively unraveling, with both sides trading blame over who broke it first.