The U.S. And Iran Further Escalated Strikes In The Hormuz Strait. Now a Top Tehran Official Says The MOU Is In ‘Crisis’
A top Iranian official said the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran is in “crisis” after the nations escalated attacks in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the U.S. “violated its commitments” defined in the document.
Quoted in the state news agency IRNA, Baghaei went on to reject rumors that recent talks included nuclear matters.
He said the discussions “were solely focused on the issue of the Strait of Hormuz” and Tehran’s effort was “to reach a mechanism in consultation with Oman that would ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Baghaei then claimed that the countries did not reach an agreement with Oman, located on the other side of the waterway, due to “overt and covert pressure from the U.S. on Oman.”
He also defended Iran’s decision to launch attacks against countries in the region in retaliation for U.S. strikes, claiming Tehran is only targeting “the bases, facilities, and positions used by the United States to attack Iran, including its logistical and support facilities.”
The country targeted bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Qatar, the country’s state media claimed. CNBC said sirens sounded for a third time in Bahrain on Monday. The U.S. Central Command said on Sunday that the U.S. had targeted dozens of targets related to the country’s tools to attack vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices kept rising on Monday as passage through the waterway slows again. Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed 3.78% and clocked in at $78.88 a barrel at 08:19 a.m. ET, while the West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, did so by 3.70% and stood at $74.05 per barrel at the same time.
It is unclear whether talks with the U.S. continued over the past few days. President Donald Trump said Tehran has asked to continue negotiations and he has agreed, but clarified that the ceasefire is over.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue “talks.” We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump said in a social media publication last week.
