Iran warns it is 'ready for war' if US diplomacy fails, demands compliance with June ceasefire
Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran prioritises dialogue but will not wait forever, accusing Washington of violating the June 17 memorandum of understanding.
Tehran's dual message
In a state television interview on Tuesday, Iran's chief negotiator and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf delivered a stark warning to the United States. He said the Islamic Republic gives priority to dialogue but is prepared for war if the current diplomatic track collapses.
We prioritise dialogue, but if this dialogue fails, we are also ready for war.
The remarks come as Iranian and American delegations hold separate meetings with Qatar, which is mediating the peace process alongside Pakistan.
Compliance disputes
Ghalibaf accused the United States of failing to implement the first five points of the 14-point memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June. He specifically cited violations of point one, concerning the end of hostilities, and linked the recent flare-ups in the Strait of Hormuz and Hezbollah's responses in Lebanon to these failures.
He described the US actions as authoritarian and arrogant, citing last week's American strikes on Iran after Tehran attacked a vessel transiting the strait. The negotiator insisted that no other issues would be addressed until those first clauses are fulfilled.
Oil and leverage
Ghalibaf used oil export figures to illustrate the blockade's impact and the partial relief brought by the memorandum. During the naval blockade, Iran was unable to export a single barrel. Since the signing on 17 June, however, over 40 million barrels have been shipped.
This resumption, he suggested, shows the tangible benefits of dialogue but also frames Iran's economic leverage if the agreement collapses.
Mediation and next steps
The memorandum, which suspended hostilities more than three months after the conflict erupted, gives the parties 60 days to negotiate a definitive peace. It requires Iran to refrain from developing nuclear weapons and establishes a mechanism to process enriched uranium stocks under IAEA supervision.
Despite the tense rhetoric, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari told journalists that no high-level direct meetings are planned in Doha in the coming days.
To my knowledge, no direct meeting between the two sides is scheduled in the coming days.
Negotiations remain focused on Iran's nuclear programme, the future of the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of sanctions and unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad.
