TEHRAN — Iran officially announced suspension of its commitments under Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking what could be the formal collapse of a Pakistan-mediated diplomatic initiative that had sought to steer Tehran and Washington toward a lasting peace agreement.
The announcement came from Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who said Tehran stopped implementation of obligations under the agreement as the country’s priority shifted to national defense amid an escalating military confrontation with the US. “We have suspended the implementation of our commitments. We are not implementing them and are focused on defending the country,” Gharibabadi said in an interview with Iran’s News Agency.
Gharibabadi was also a member of Iran’s negotiating team that had engaged with US officials under the Pakistan-backed diplomatic framework.
Islamabad MoU, negotiated through months of Pakistani mediation, was intended to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive peace process between Iran and the United States. According to Iranian officials, the agreement contained 14 points and envisioned a renewed round of negotiations after six months. That roadmap now appears to have unraveled.
Iranian officials said the conflict reignited amid attacks on commercial shipping, renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s reimposition of a naval blockade. Tehran accuses Washington of violating the spirit and terms of the memorandum by seeking strategic control over parts of the vital waterway.
According to ministry spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour, U.S. strikes since 6 July have killed 50 people and injured more than 500. Among those killed, officials say, were five women and two children under the age of 18. Authorities also reported that 32 women and 18 minors were among the wounded, while 37 victims remain hospitalized.
Pakistan had spent months mediating negotiations that ultimately produced 14-point Memorandum of Understanding, with both sides agreeing to resume talks after six months, but Tehran accused Washington of adopting interpretation of agreement that contradicted its original provisions in an effort to secure objectives it had failed to achieve on the battlefield.
“Iran cannot accept such an interpretation because it constitutes a clear violation of the memorandum,” he said, calling for international condemnation of what he described as an aggressive and irresponsible American action.
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