Iran Condemns US Strikes, Says Washington Violated Ceasefire Memorandum
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said the U.S. military carried out strikes in the early hours of July 8 against several monitoring and surveillance centers on Iran's southern coastline. It described the attacks as a "clear violation" of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states.
The ministry also said the strikes constituted a "flagrant breach" of Article 1 of the memorandum of understanding ending the war, which required all military operations to cease.
According to the statement, the latest attacks, together with the U.S. Treasury's decision to revoke the license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil, an obligation Washington had undertaken under Article 10 of the MoU, the alleged violation of arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz, and the continuation of Israeli military aggression and terrorist acts against Lebanon, have rendered key provisions of the ceasefire agreement ineffective.
The Foreign Ministry said the United States bears full responsibility for the "dangerous consequences" of the escalating tensions.
The statement also stressed that all governments, particularly the neighboring states on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, are under an international legal obligation to prevent their territory and facilities from being used by "aggressor parties" to carry out attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran. It warned that any cooperation in acts of aggression against Iran would constitute complicity and participation in the crime of aggression.
Condemning repeated U.S. violations of the agreement, the ministry also recalled the responsibilities of the UN Security Council and the UN secretary-general to safeguard regional and international peace and security.
It added that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as they have repeatedly demonstrated, will not hesitate to defend Iran's territorial integrity, national sovereignty and national security against U.S. military aggression. Acting in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, the statement said, Iran reserves the right to target not only the source but also the origin of any aggression.
Source: Iran MFA
