BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. The 60-day period
set under a memorandum signed between Tehran and Washington on June
17 is no longer valid, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil
Baghaei said.
According to Baghaei, the United States violated the agreement
just weeks after it was signed.
"The memorandum of understanding contains no provision regarding
a 60-day period, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has never
formulated its policy based on pressure, ultimatums or time
limits," Baghaei said.
He said the memorandum envisaged holding negotiations within 60
days on two issues — "the lifting of sanctions" and "the nuclear
issue." According to Baghaei, the period could have been extended
if no agreement was reached.
"No negotiations were launched because the United States grossly
and extensively violated the memorandum just a few weeks after it
was signed," he said.
Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated again on
July 8. On that day, U.S. forces launched several rounds of strikes
on Iranian territory, for the first time since the memorandum was
signed, reportedly in response to an attack on a commercial vessel
in the Strait of Hormuz.
That same day, U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire
with Iran had been terminated. In response, Tehran began striking
U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab
Emirates and Oman.
Iranian authorities currently say the Strait of Hormuz has been
closed.
