Tehran, August 23: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran has not compromised on any clause of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed as part of efforts to address tensions with the United States and Israel.
Speaking at an event marking Doctors’ Day, Pezeshkian said Iran had agreed to the MoU because it believed disputes could not be resolved through war.
“We are not going to bow our heads and give in to the enemy. We can solve our problems with strength but with logic,” he said, according to Al Jazeera, citing Iran’s IRNA news agency.
Pezeshkian said members of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council considered the MoU the best available option and rejected claims that Tehran had made concessions under the agreement.
“There is not a single clause in the memorandum that we have compromised,” he said.
The president said Iran needed to take decisions to move away from a situation of neither “war nor peace” and called for unity within the country. He also said Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had accepted the need to pursue the path outlined in the MoU.
The remarks came as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue over US economic measures against Iran and disputes involving the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the United States fulfilled its commitments and changed its policies.
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed, despite American claims, and will not open until America corrects its behaviour,” Rezaei said.
He also accused US President Donald Trump of increasing nuclear insecurity through Washington’s policies toward Iran. Rezaei said US pressure could encourage other countries to seek nuclear weapons.
Rezaei further warned neighbouring countries against joining US economic measures against Iran, saying Tehran would regard countries participating in the campaign as enemies.
“If the countries surrounding Iran join the Americans in the economic war, not a single drop of oil will leave the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that Iran could also target other oil-export routes from the region.
The statements followed Trump’s announcement of an “Economic D-Day” campaign against Iran. He said the US measures would target Iran’s oil smuggling networks, financial transfers, exchange houses, ship registries and front companies, and called on US allies to support the campaign.
Iranian officials have rejected the US pressure campaign, saying previous sanctions had failed to change Tehran’s policies.