A day after US President Donald Trump claimed to have Iran on the “ropes” and was ready to make major adjustments, Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, called the signing of the Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) “a declaration of America’s defeat”.
Last week, the US and Iran had signed the agreement to end the war in West Asia on February 28 and kick-started the process to reach a permanent settlement.
The first round of high-level negotiations were held at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland and mediated by Qatar and Pakistan.
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AFP quoted Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, saying, “The Islamabad understanding was not the result of pressure and coercion, but rather the result of the resistance and authority of the brave Iranian nation.”
“That is why, the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding became a declaration of America’s defeat,” he said while pointing out that security in West Asia must be ensured by the countries of the region.
The remarks come as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to hold closed-door talks with United Arab Emirates leader Mohamed bin Zayed, before flying to Kuwait and then Bahrain, where he will attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting.
AFP quoted Rubio saying that he intended to discuss the US-Iran memorandum of understanding with Gulf leaders, which does not address Iran’s missile programme and proxies — two long-standing concerns for Gulf nations and Israel.
On the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, he said, “It’s an international waterway… No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That’s existing international law.”
US President Donald Trump, who has been criticised by his own party leaders, on Tuesday fired back at the Senate after it backed legislation to halt any further military action against Iran without congressional approval, claiming Tehran was already in a weakened position and ready to make major adjustments.
In a post on ‘X’, Trump wrote, “So, I have Iran on the ‘ropes,’ ready to go down for the fall, willing to give us practically anything, and for the first time in decades, respecting the hell out of the United States and its President, ME”.
