Strait Warning
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in an interview on Tuesday that Tehran will not compromise over the Strait of Hormuz, warning Washington against ‘overstepping’ the memorandum of understanding.
“Just as Lebanon’s national sovereignty is our red line, if the United States oversteps, our absolute control over the Strait of Hormuz is non-negotiable. We will secure it in the best possible way,” Ghalibaf said.
“Over the next 60 days we will maintain services; we have finalised all legal and service arrangements with Oman, and within 30 days we will implement them in cooperation with Oman,” he added.
US Tensions
Ghalibaf claimed there were splits inside the US administration, naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance as figures pursuing different lines.
He also accused Rubio of trying to rally Gulf states against Iran and push Lebanon towards normalisation with Israel, while stressing that the memorandum is “explicitly designed to protect Lebanon’s independence”.
“When Rubio visited Bahrain last Thursday, every move he made ran counter to our memorandum. He deliberately provoked the Gulf states again, inciting them against us over the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Rubio visited Gulf states last week, including Bahrain, where the US and the Gulf Cooperation Council discussed the Iran memorandum, regional security and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ongoing Negotiations
Ghalibaf said Iran remains committed to its memorandum with the United States – which he described a ‘document of America’s defeat’ – but cast the ongoing talks as a confrontation with an ‘enemy,’ not a partner.
“Negotiation is a form of combat. Even now, as we talk to America, we are dealing not with a friend but with an oath-breaking enemy who will strike the moment an opportunity arises against us,” he emphasised.
On June 17, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war, followed by the launch of a first round of talks in Switzerland aimed at reaching a final agreement.
Iran International TV, via Viory.Video
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