Iran rules out US talks as conflict deepens, vows military response

Iran has ruled out any immediate return to negotiations with the US, saying it is focussed on defending itself as military hostilities between the two countries intensify in West Asia.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that Tehran has no plans to resume talks with Washington, accusing the US of violating commitments under the June 17 memorandum of understanding (MoU) that was intended to reduce regional tensions, according to Iranian state media Press TV.

"We currently have no plans for negotiations and are focussed on defence," Baghaei said, dismissing US claims that continued military pressure would force Iran back to the negotiating table.

The remarks come as US military operations against Iranian targets continue, with Washington saying the strikes are aimed at weakening military capabilities that could threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit routes. Iran has rejected those allegations.

Baghaei said Tehran no longer considers itself bound by the MoU after what it described as repeated violations by Washington. He argued that an agreement is based on reciprocal obligations and that Iran would suspend its own commitments if the other side failed to honour the deal.

"An MoU is a set of mutual commitments, and in the event of a breach by the other party, we too will refrain from fulfilling our obligations," he said, adding that the US had acted in bad faith "from the very first article" of the agreement.

The Iranian spokesperson also warned that the country's armed forces would retaliate against any further military action by the US.

"Our armed forces will respond with full force to any aggressor. If they strike, they will be struck back," Baghaei said.

His comments came as US strikes on Iran's southern coastal areas continued. Washington has maintained that the operations are intended to safeguard maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran, however, insists that responsibility for managing transit through the strategic waterway was delegated to Iran under Article 5 of the 14-point MoU.

The latest exchange of statements underscores the sharp deterioration in US-Iran relations following recent military operations targeting Iranian infrastructure and maritime assets, and retaliatory Iranian strikes on US military bases in the region, raising concerns over further disruption to global energy supplies and regional stability.