Tehran, June 15 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that ending the war in Lebanon is an integral part of a recently finalised peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States, local media reported.
He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in the Iranian capital while stressing Iran’s determination to stop Israeli strikes against Lebanon under the MoU that was announced between Tehran and Washington early Monday.
Meanwhile, “An important event that occurred on the last day of the negotiations was that, following Iran’s follow-up, Article 1 was added to Article 13”, Iran’s Semi-Official Tasnim News agency reported, citing an informed source.
“The important meaning of this development is that if war or any military operation, such as assassination and so on, takes place in Iran or the resistance front, including Lebanon, then under the memorandum of understanding, no negotiations for a final agreement will take place, and naturally the implementation of the memorandum of understanding, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, will be halted under Article 13,” Tasnim quoted the source as saying.
Baghaei said ending the war and establishing a ceasefire in Lebanon were also parts of an April 8 ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel, “and we proved to be serious in this regard in the past.”
He listed some of the other provisions in the MoU, including the release of Iran’s frozen assets and the reconstruction of the damage sustained by the country during the war, stressing that under the deal, the United States commits to implement measures regarding both issues, Xinhua news agency reported.
Baghaei said the MoU also requires the United States to lift all sanctions, including primary and secondary sanctions, those of the United Nations Security Council, and the relevant resolutions adopted by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency against Iran.
He added that these issues, along with those related to Iran’s nuclear program, are scheduled to be discussed after the MoU’s signing.
Baghaei also said, upon the MoU’s signing on Friday, Iran must be able to sell its oil, petrochemical products and petroleum products without any obstacle or problem.
He underlined that the United States will bear responsibility for any violation of commitments by the other players and US allies in the region.
Regarding the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said Iran, along with Oman, the other coastal country, will adopt necessary measures to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the waterway.
He added that under the MoU, Iran has become obligated to implement the necessary measures to this end, in cooperation with Oman and in consultation with other relevant parties, stressing that Iran seeks to ensure safe and secure maritime traffic in the strait.
Baghaei emphasised that Iran does not seek to receive tolls from ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, but will charge them for the services it will provide along with Oman, including those pertaining to navigation, environmental protection and ships’ insurance.
–IANS
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