Iran declares it no longer observes ceasefire with US
Iran accuses the United States of violating the ceasefire agreement (photo: Getty Images)
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Khazem Gharibabadi said Tehran has suspended its commitments under the agreement with the United States that had provided for a ceasefire, according to CNN.
Notable that in June, a memorandum of understanding between the two countries ended weeks of fighting and created an opening for detailed negotiations. However, the deal soon collapsed after Iran and the United States exchanged military strikes.
"We were in negotiations. Unfortunately, it was the Americans themselves who took these aggressive actions, in violation of their own commitments. We have suspended all of our commitments and are, in fact, no longer implementing them," Gharibabadi said on Iranian state television.
Media outlet notes that the deputy foreign minister's remarks are the latest sign that Qatari- and Pakistani-mediated talks between Tehran and Washington have reached a deadlock.
"What we are now faced with is defending our country. We will do so firmly and decisively, and I think the Americans have once again received their response—that these aggressive actions by them will get them nowhere," Gharibabadi said.
Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would continue to respond "firmly" to US strikes and had no plans to resume negotiations.
"We currently have no plans for negotiations and remain focused on defending the country," he told reporters on July 15.
US-Iran renewed war
In June, the United States and Iran reached a framework agreement that extended the ceasefire, reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and launched negotiations on the key issues that had sparked the war, including Tehran's nuclear program.
However, in early July, Iran attacked a vessel attempting to pass through the strait, claiming the container ship had been using an unauthorized route.
Several media outlets later reported that the core dispute stemmed from Washington's push for commercial vessels to transit closer to Oman's coast rather than along Iranian waters, a move that Tehran reportedly viewed as the reason for the strike.
Last week, US President Donald Trump said he believed the ceasefire had effectively ended after Iran targeted the vessel transiting the strait. Shortly afterward, the United States launched retaliatory strikes against Iran.
Since then, the two sides have resumed exchanging fire, with almost daily strikes. Iran has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States has reinstated its blockade of Iranian ports.
An Axios report published a week ago said the White House was preparing for a possible prolonged exchange of strikes between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz that could last days or even weeks.
