Tehran defended its compliance with a US-brokered ceasefire on Saturday, dismissing assertions by US President Donald Trump that the truce has collapsed, though both nations have agreed to proceed with diplomatic discussions.
The political friction follows recent military strikes that have undermined a fragile memorandum of understanding (MoU) designed to de-escalate hostilities and prevent a wider regional war.
Trump Declares Ceasefire Dead
Amid the friction, Trump issued a stern warning on his Truth Social platform, threatening that the US would “completely decimate” Iran if the nation attempted or carried out an assassination against him.
While Trump confirmed the US would still participate in future discussions, he made it clear that the temporary truce was finished.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump posted.
This mirrored his comments from a NATO summit earlier in the week, where he expressed frustration over diplomatic efforts with Tehran, stating, “It’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”
Tehran Points to US Violations
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi firmly pushed back against the US position, defending Tehran’s adherence to the agreement while accusing Washington of failing to uphold its end of the deal.
Araghchi stated that Iran “has so far kept its word, unlike the so-called US Treasury Secretary who is violating Para 9 of the MoU”.
Under Paragraph 9, Iran committed to freezing its nuclear advancements in exchange for a US pledge to halt new sanctions and regional military deployments. Araghchi warned that Washington’s unilateral actions threaten the entire diplomatic framework.
“That violation follows other violations and missteps by the United States. Reality check: There can only be mutual compliance,” Araghchi added.
While direct talks in Switzerland and indirect negotiations in Qatar have yielded no breakthroughs since last month, Qatari mediators reportedly arrived in Tehran on Saturday following the latest military flare-ups to keep communication lines open.