'Ready for war': Iran draws red line for US, says no final talks until MoU terms are met

Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Tuesday warned that Tehran is prepared for war if the United States does not comply with the memorandum of understanding (MoU). He further insisted that negotiations on a final agreement will not move forward until Washington fulfils its commitments.Speaking in a televised interview, Ghalibaf said, "We are ready for war if the other party does not comply with the MoU."He further accused the United States of violating the understanding reached to end the recent conflict, citing incidents in the Persian Gulf."We consider the events that are taking place in the Persian Gulf these nights to be a violation of the understanding to end the war, and we will definitely react to it, and naturally, the other side will react as well."He said the current discussions between Iran and the United States are focused on implementing the 14-point memorandum of understanding rather than negotiating a final deal."We signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)... We are pursuing the dialogue to fulfil Article 13 of this Memorandum of Understanding. The naval blockade was lifted, and it was one of the great successes of this memorandum."He also said Iran had exported more than 40 million barrels of oil since the blockade was lifted.On the Strait of Hormuz, Ghalibaf said Iran and Oman hold sovereignty over the strategic waterway and that Tehran would continue to regulate navigation."The sovereignty of the Strait of Hormuz lies with Iran and Oman, and traffic in the strait is according to the arrangements that Iran specifies."He said free passage through the strait without charges would remain in place only during the 60-day implementation period of the memorandum, after which a tolling system would be introduced for services provided."The text of the MoU states that the passage through the strait is free of charge 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," Ghalibaf said.Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran has no plans to hold meetings with US officials in the coming days."Basically, we have no plans to meet with the American side at any level in the next few days."Baghaei clarified that the discussions scheduled in Doha are technical talks linked to implementing the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran's frozen assets, and are not political negotiations with Washington."What will be done in Doha tomorrow is a discussion on the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran's frozen assets. We will implement our commitments as long as the other side implements its commitments," Baghaei said.His remarks came as 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.Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.