UN envoy, Iran accuses US of violating memorandum of understanding

JAKARTA - Iran accused the United States of violating the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the war and committing war crimes, in a letter to the United Nations (UN).

"Almost immediately after the signing of the Memorandum, and continuing to this day, the United States has not only failed to honor its commitments but also actively and systematically undermined the foundations of the Memorandum itself," Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, wrote in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the president of the UN Security Council, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, quoted by Anadolu (15/7).

The letter accuses the violations of including renewed US military attacks in Iranian territory, revocation of Iran's oil sales permit, the establishment of parallel maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz, and continued US support for Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

"This deliberate, planned, and sustained action is a serious threat to international peace and security and further demonstrates the United States' total disregard for its international legal obligations," he said.

Iravani said Iran had formally conveyed each violation to the mediator, but the US "continues to increase its illegal actions."

He said the war against Iran that began on February 28 was an "unprovoked act of aggression" by the US and Israel that violated the UN Charter, which he said "has included many war crimes and crimes against humanity."

He called on the Security Council to take "immediate, effective, and decisive measures" to force Washington to stop its "ongoing illegal actions" against Iran.

It is known that tensions have escalated between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, with both sides attacking each other despite a Pakistani-mediated memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a number of senior officials and civilians.

The escalation spread across the Middle East and had global repercussions, with Iran attacking Israeli territory and US-related facilities in neighboring countries, as well as tightening control of the globally influential Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the Islamabad Declaration of Mutual Understanding initiated by Pakistan and supported by Qatar online on June 18, followed by the Lake Lucerne Summit on June 21 aimed at ending the escalation.