Iran disputes a 60-day MoU deadline as talks on Hormuz transit continue

Iran warns enemies to 'anticipate strategic surprises' as it shifts from a defensive stance Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 08/17/2026 - 11:09 Meanwhile, Tehran blames pollution in Gulf waters on US wars and calls for Qatar to clarify the fate of three missing pilots A man holds an Iranian flag, next to a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, on 13 August 2026 (Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters) Off Iran has warned its adversaries to "anticipate strategic surprises" as a senior military official said the country was set to shift from a defensive stance to an offensive one.  Yadollah Javani, the head of the political bureau of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state media on Monday morning that "The enemy should know that it cannot catch us off-guard.” “Instead, it is the enemy that must anticipate strategic surprises,” he added. "Whatever is necessary to defend this land, ensure security, and neutralise enemy threats will be executed at the appropriate time." Javani's comments came as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes, slowed over the weekend.  A total of five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, with none recorded for Sunday, in comparison to 31 vessels transiting last weekend, according to ship tracking data from Kpler.  Iran and Oman on Monday continued talks to establish a secure maritime transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, blaming security complications caused by US and Israeli military actions. “Drawing up the maritime transit route plan with Oman has been time-consuming due to security complexities,” Baghaei said, adding that “the issue is inherently complex”. Speaking on the proposed mechanism, Baghaei said it would aim to protect the sovereign rights and interests of both Iran and Oman while ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels. “This is the first time that a mechanism is being developed to simultaneously safeguard the sovereign rights of the two littoral states and ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels,” he said, adding that intensive talks to finalise a joint statement were continuing. Baghaei also said that a 60-day period linked to the 17 June memorandum between Tehran and Washington was no longer relevant, accusing the US of violating the agreement weeks after it was signed.  “There is no provision in the memorandum of understanding referring to a ‘60-day deadline’, and the Islamic Republic of Iran never formulates its policies under pressure, ultimatums or time limits,” he said. Baghaei said the memorandum envisaged a 60-day period for talks on “the lifting of sanctions” and “the nuclear issue”, which could have been extended if no agreement was reached. However, he said “gross and widespread” US violations meant talks never began. “As a result, the issue of a 60-day deadline became entirely moot,” Baghaei added.   Iranian drone targets Iraqi Kurdistan Also on Monday, two Iranian drones targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office and the home of the autonomous region's intelligence chief overnight, authorities said. "Following an investigation by the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit, my personal office and the home of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency were targeted by Iranian drone attacks earlier today," Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in a post on X. Iran and Oman work on temporary Hormuz shipping route as Trump threatens to claim the strait Read More » "This is a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan region." The regional counterterrorism directorate said there were no casualties in the attack. Since the start of the war on Iran in late February, the Kurdistan region, which hosts US troops and international oil firms as well as rebels exiled from Iran, has been targeted with more than 1,000 attacks by Tehran and pro-Iran armed groups inside Iraq. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign ministry has blamed pollution in Gulf waters on decades of US wars in the region, after several oil spills were reported. “This environmental damage stems from the US military presence and the wars it has waged in the region over the past five decades,” foreign ministry spokesperson Baghaei said on Monday. “The damage caused to the environment of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is not solely linked to this war.”  He called for the US to be held accountable, estimating the damage at "trillions of dollars". Last week, Iran demanded compensation after an oil slick in the Strait of Hormuz reached the island of Qeshm, affecting beaches and an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest. At the time, Baghaei cited preliminary evidence identifying “a foreign bulk carrier” as the source of the spill, which Iranian officials later said had been “completely cleaned up”. Missing pilots 'prisoners in Qatar' Elsewhere, Baghaei said on Monday that Iran will consider three missing pilots to be prisoners in Qatar, despite Doha's denials, until it clarifies their fate. Tehran has said the Iranians went missing while carrying out an operation against the US’ Al Udeid air base in Qatar on 2 March. On Saturday, Iranian authorities alleged for the first time that the pilots had been captured in Qatar, after previously saying one pilot had been killed and three others were missing. "It is imperative to obtain clarification on their situation," Baghaei said. "Until the pilots' situation is clarified, we consider them prisoners and will spare no effort to shed light on their fate." Qatar denies holding the pilots and said an invitation had been sent to Iran "to be briefed on the details of the search and rescue operations in April, but the Iranian side has yet to respond". Last month, Iran's military said it had retrieved the body of pilot Majid Kazemi, who was killed during the attack on Al Udeid, the largest US military base in the Middle East. The base hosts forward elements of US Central Command, as well as US air and special operations forces. In early March, Qatar's defence ministry said it had shot down two Iranian Sukhoi Su-24 bombers but it was not immediately clear whether they were the same aircraft referred to by Iran.  War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Monday that there was “no such thing as a 60-day deadline” under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States. Iran’s semi-official outlet ISNA said Baqaei made the remarks when asked about the timeframe mentioned in negotiations with Washington during a press briefing. The remarks also came as the 60-day window expired. “There is no such thing as a 60-day deadline in the text of the MoU, and the Islamic Republic of Iran never formulates its policies under pressure, ultimatums or time constraints,” Baghaei was quoted as saying. “All decisions are made solely based on evaluations of national interests and national security. What was anticipated in the MoU was merely a 60-day window for talks on two axes — sanctions relief and the nuclear issue — which could be extended if no result was reached,” he said. “Due to the blatant and widespread violation of the June 18 MoU by the US just a few weeks after its signing, no talks were initiated, and consequently, the issue of the 60-day period completely lost its relevance,” ISNA quoted him as saying. “The primary focus of the entire country is on managing current affairs, while simultaneously the armed forces are closely monitoring all movements with full vigilance,” he added. The MoU between the US and Iran was signed on June 18 after weeks of intensive diplomacy. It was aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the Middle East conflict — which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February — after a further 60 days of negotiations. However, renewed hostilities erupted on July 7, when Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker, accusing the US of violating the understanding. The attack prompted multiple waves of US strikes on Iranian military targets. The conflict also spread to new fronts, with the Houthi rebels in Yemen imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, extending the war to a second major shipping chokepoint. Iran considers missing pilots to be prisoners in Qatar Baqaei also said that Iran will consider three missing pilots to be prisoners in Qatar, despite Doha’s denials, until it clarifies their fate. Tehran has said the Iranians went missing while carrying out an operation against the United States’ Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on March 2, shortly after the outbreak of the Middle East war. On Saturday, Iranian authorities alleged for the first time that the pilots had been captured in Qatar, after previously saying one pilot had been killed and three others were missing following their sortie. “It is imperative to obtain clarification on their situation,” Baqaei said. “Until the pilots’ situation is clarified, we consider them prisoners and will spare no effort to shed light on their fate.” Qatar denies holding the pilots and said an invitation had been sent to Iran “to be briefed on the details of the search and rescue operations in April, but the Iranian side has yet to respond”. Iran blames US presence for Gulf waters pollution Meanwhile, the foreign ministry spokesperson blamed pollution in Gulf waters on US military operations in the region, after several oil spills were reported. “This environmental damage stems from the US military presence and the wars it has waged in the region over the past five decades,” Baqaei said. “The damage caused to the environment of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is not solely linked to this war.” He called for the US to be held accountable, estimating the damage at “trillions of dollars”. Last week, Iran called for compensation after an oil slick in the Strait of Hormuz reached the island of Qeshm, affecting beaches and an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest. At the time, Baqaei cited preliminary evidence identifying “a foreign bulk carrier” as the source of the spill, which Iranian officials later said had been “completely cleaned up”. Earlier, Omani state media reported that an oil slick from a tanker that ran aground off Oman had reached the coastline. An AFP investigation previously found that the vessel had been stranded for weeks near Oman’s Al-Qibliyyah island after it was damaged by explosions.