Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Qalibaf stated Tuesday night that any violation of the ceasefire framework will be met with a countermeasure, linking recent events in the Strait of Hormuz and Hezbollah responses in Lebanon to enforcement of the agreement. Qalibaf said the signed memorandum contains 14 articles, but that progress to subsequent articles is conditioned on full implementation of the first five.
Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Qalibaf, issued a pointed statement Tuesday evening tying enforcement of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding to recent escalations on two fronts. Qalibaf warned that 'every violation of the ceasefire article will be met with a countermeasure,' and explicitly named the events in the Strait of Hormuz and Hezbollah's responses in Lebanon as consequences of enforcement gaps.
The statement reiterates Iran's position that the MoU, which Qalibaf said contains 14 articles, is being held up by incomplete implementation of the first five articles—understood to cover the cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. 'We will not move to the next articles until the first five are realized,' he said.
The remarks follow a pattern of Iranian public positioning: As The Zioneer reported on June 21, Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that final deal negotiations cannot begin until the war in Lebanon ends. Qalibaf himself was quoted in a Zioneer article last week asserting that the US committed to ending the Lebanon war under the MoU's Article 1. The latest statement sharpens that warning by explicitly linking the region's active flashpoints—maritime incidents off Iran and Hezbollah border fire—to the diplomatic process.
What remains unstated: whether Qalibaf's 'countermeasure' refers to military escalation, diplomatic retaliation, or both.
2 developments
- StrongIran's Qalibaf says first MoU article commits US to ending Lebanon war, calls it 'great victory'
- StrongIran says today's talks focus on monitoring MoU compliance, warns final deal hinges on ending Lebanon war
- DevelopingQalibaf: Israel continues to violate Lebanon agreement, Iran won't accept aggression
- DevelopingIranian parliament speaker threatens return to nuclear steps if US, Israel do not meet understandings
Source and signal
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