Iran voids US peace deal and declares 'existential war' following strikes
Escalating hostilities, including US airstrikes that killed seven Iranian troops and a renewed port blockade, have led Iran to abandon its interim ceasefire agreement, prompting retaliatory claims and regional condemnation.
Iran has declared its interim peace deal with the United States void, stating it is engaged in an "existential war" following a series of US airstrikes that killed seven Iranian troops. Iranian negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf announced that Tehran’s armed forces now have "complete freedom of action" against what he described as enemy aggression, citing the United States’ failure to uphold the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17.
The escalation follows US air strikes on military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Greater Tunb island, as well as a renewed blockade of Iranian ports. The US military confirmed it had redirected two commercial vessels as part of the blockade, which began enforcing the night before. In response to the strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have targeted the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and a logistics hub in Kuwait.
Kuwait and Jordan reported downing Iranian missiles and drones, while Gulf states condemned the attacks. Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi condemned the Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan as "treacherous," stating they reveal Iran’s determination to drag the region into further chaos. Zeidon Alkinani of the Arab Perspectives Institute noted that Gulf states’ patience with Iran may be running out, despite their opposition to the US-Israel war on Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated Tehran had abandoned its commitments under the memorandum because the US had reneged on its side of the deal. "Our commitments remain in effect only as long as the other side fulfils its pledges," Baghaei said. He added that Tehran had no plans to engage in further talks with Washington and was focused solely on defending the country.
US President Donald Trump warned that attacks would intensify if Iran did not return to negotiations, though he declined to set a firm deadline. Ghalibaf said Iran was still balancing diplomacy with military action in pursuit of its national interest, noting that while Iran had never welcomed war, it must always be prepared for battle.
