WANA (Aug 01) – Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, praised the efforts of the national Armed Forces in defending the nation’s realm, paid tribute to Iran’s late Leader and all those who died for national independence and dignity, and declared Iran’s intention to maintain its course until hostile actions were completely repelled.

 

According to the statement, defensive measures by Iranian forces were continuing as the United States carried out aggressive acts against the country.

 

The Ministry stated that these acts included maintaining a naval blockade on Iranian ports and commercial shipping, attacking various parts of the country, increasing economic pressure, and issuing illegal threats, all in violation of the June 18 War Termination Memorandum of Understanding.

 

The Ministry asserted that the ongoing naval blockade constituted an act of aggression under UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 of December 14, 1974. It added that attacks on military and civilian targets, infrastructure, and Iranian citizens at home and abroad—including in Iraq—violated Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter, prompting Iran to exercise its right of self-defense using all available means.

 

The statement noted that U.S. actions over the past 15 months met the criteria for a threat to international peace and security, a breach of international peace and security, and an act of aggression under Article 39 of the UN Charter, which required Security Council intervention.

 

The Ministry expressed regret that the UN Security Council had taken no effective action to hold the United States and the Israeli regime accountable, comparing the situation to the Council’s inaction during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War, while also pointing out that the UN Secretary-General had issued only vague statements.

 

The Ministry stated that the U.S. government had acted over the past two years to further the goals of the Israeli regime against Iran and other regional nations. It noted that Washington had initially cited preventing an Iranian nuclear bomb as its rationale before shifting to claims of countering an imminent threat and taking preemptive action to defend Israel.

 

According to the Ministry, the actual reason for the Israeli aggression was Iran’s half-century of resistance against American pressure and its insistence on national sovereignty, a dynamic the Ministry traced back to the 1950s coup against Iran’s elected government and the subsequent consolidation of the regime at that time.

 

Regarding the recent military actions that began on the evening of July 8 during the funeral procession of the late Leader, the Ministry described them as a continuation of long-standing U.S. hostility. It stated that the U.S. used alleged incidents involving three vessels in the southern Strait of Hormuz to justify violating commitments and targeting Iran’s sovereign rights over the strait.

 

The statement highlighted that the flag states of the three damaged ships were aware that Paragraph 5 of the War Termination MoU assigned future management of the strait to Iran, and that they knew the U.S.-designated southern transit route was unsafe and unauthorized.

 

The Ministry noted that attempts to route the ships through that area violated the MoU and began shortly after its signing on June 18, coinciding with a June 25, 2026 statement by Marco Rubio and Persian Gulf Cooperation Council Foreign Ministers.

 

The Ministry added that Iran had repeatedly protested these movements, which it described as a cover for military operations designed to undermine Paragraph 5 of the MoU.

 

The Ministry reported that between June 26 and July 8, multiple instances of U.S. frigates accompanying large oil and liquefied gas tankers were recorded, and that U.S. forces had repeatedly used commercial vessels to transport military personnel and equipment. It added that ships transiting the southern route had turned off their tracking transponders specifically to evade detection by Iranian forces.

 

The statement detailed an incident on July 8 in which a CENTCOM war frigate transited the southern route under the cover of a liquefied gas carrier.

 

The Ministry characterized this as a hazard to maritime navigation and proof of U.S. intent to misuse the MoU for hostile preparations. It argued that the U.S. reaction to ships unrelated to Washington—and without proof of Iranian involvement—alongside the U.S. President’s announcement terminating the MoU, revoking Iranian oil sale authorizations, and reinstating the blockade, demonstrated advance planning by Washington to break treaties and escalate the conflict.

 

The Ministry condemned U.S. actions executed in cooperation with the Israeli regime and with the assistance of regional countries that provided territory and facilities, reaffirming Iran’s determination to protect its national security.

 

Reiterating that Iran sought relations based on mutual respect and good neighborliness with all countries along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, the Ministry reminded regional governments of their duty not to allow their territories or facilities to be used for attacks against a neighbor. Citing UN Resolution 3314, the Ministry clarified that Iranian defensive strikes against the origin of illegal U.S. attacks should not be interpreted as attacks on those regional nations.

 

The Ministry concluded by stating that under the guidance of Iran’s Leadership, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, and supported by the public, the Armed Forces, diplomacy, and international solidarity, Iran would continue defending its national dignity and independence, framing the effort as a defense of international law and human values against the use of force.