Iran says it will not hold further talks unless the United States respects the memorandum of understanding
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Tuesday that Tehran is ready for war if the United States does not adhere to the memorandum of understanding.
He also stressed that negotiations on the final agreement will not move forward until Washington fulfills its obligations.Ghalibaf said in a televised interview: “We are ready for war if the other party does not adhere to the memorandum of understanding.”He also accused the United States of violating the understanding reached to end the recent conflict, citing incidents in the Persian Gulf.He added: “We consider the events taking place in the Persian Gulf these nights to be a violation of the understanding to end the war, and we will certainly respond to it, and it is natural that the other side will respond as well.”He said that current discussions between Iran and the United States focus on implementing the 14-point memorandum of understanding rather than negotiating a final agreement.“We signed the Memorandum of Understanding… and we continue the dialogue to implement Article 13 of this Memorandum of Understanding. The naval blockade was lifted, and that was one of the great successes of this Memorandum.”He added that Iran has exported more than 40 million barrels of oil since the blockade was lifted.
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Qalibaf said that Iran and Oman have sovereignty over the strategic waterway and that Tehran will continue to regulate navigation.He added, “Sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran and Oman, and traffic in the Strait takes place according to the arrangements determined by Iran.”He added that freedom of passage through the Strait without fees will remain in effect only during the implementation period of the memorandum of 60 days, after which the fee system for services provided will be implemented.Qalibaf said: “The text of the memorandum of understanding stipulates that passage through the Strait is free for only 60 days. Iran will not give up its rights in the Strait of Hormuz under any circumstances, and these are our territorial waters.”On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said that Tehran has no plans to hold meetings with American officials in the coming days.He added: “Basically, we have no plans to meet with the American side at any level in the next few days.”Baghaei explained that the discussions scheduled in Doha are technical talks related to the implementation of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, and are not political negotiations with Washington.Baghaei said: “What will be done in Doha tomorrow is to discuss the implementation of the terms of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of frozen Iranian assets. We will implement our obligations as long as the other side implements its obligations.”His statements came at a time when Qatar confirmed that technical-level talks between Iran and the United States are continuing in Doha, while clarifying that there are currently “no high-level meetings” between the two sides.