- Iran rejects Islamabad MoU post US airstrike, citing violations.
- Tehran demands "commitment for commitment" from United States.
- MoU in "crisis phase," Iran's withdrawal widely reported.
New Delhi: Hours after the US military carried out a massive airstrike on Iran, Tehran announced that it “is not obligated to fulfil the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)” as Washington has violated the agreement multiple times. Although it refrained from explicitly stating whether the deal is over, some media reports have claimed that Tehran has officially withdrawn from the agreement. Tehran said it maintains full control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the agreement is based on the principle of "commitment for commitment," meaning Iran will honour its obligations only if the United States complies with its own. "As long as America does not act on its promises, no expectations should be held from Iran either," Baghaei said, adding that the MoU has entered a "crisis phase."
Iran threatens to halt all energy exports from Middle East
Later in the day, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened to halt all energy exports from the Middle East over the US reimposing a naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. The Guard made the threat after the blockade began. There have been days of US airstrikes targeting Iran, and Iranian retaliatory attacks, over who controls the Strait of Hormuz.
The strait once saw a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded pass through it in peacetime.
In a statement carried by Iranian state television, the Guard threatened oil and gas exports from the region. "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one," it said.
US' massive military strike on Iran
The US military said early Wednesday it had ended its latest round of strikes targeting Iran.
The strikes came as the US reimposed a naval blockade on Iran over Tehran''s attacks on ships trying to get through the Strait of Hormuz.
Central Command said the strikes lasted for seven hours and targeted missile and drone sites, as well as Iranian coastal defences and naval assets. Iran offered no immediate casualty or damage information.
(With inputs from agencies)
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