Iran announced on Saturday the suspension of all commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, with Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stating that the United States had “violated and suspended all its commitments” first. The decision, confirmed by multiple Iranian officials, effectively ends the June ceasefire framework that was intended to halt a war that began in February. Gharibabadi told state television that Iran’s immediate focus is the “decisive defence of the country,” and that Washington’s military actions “will not achieve any result.”

Viewed from Tehran, the US resumed hostilities in early July by reimposing a naval blockade and launching strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including power grids, desalination plants, and bridges in the southern Hormozgan province. Iranian state media report at least 50 dead and over 500 wounded since the escalation. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in a written statement, described President Donald Trump’s signature on the accord as “worthless” and accused the US of “bullying, hegemonic ambitions and barbarism.” First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref claimed American attacks began “before the ink had dried” on the memorandum.

Washington’s position, articulated by the US Central Command, is that the strikes aim to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil transits. The US says it acted after Iranian forces targeted merchant vessels. President Trump has stated that the ceasefire is “over” and that negotiating with Tehran is a “waste of time.” The Pentagon reports two American soldiers killed in a recent Iranian attack on a base in Jordan, bringing total US military fatalities to 16. The State Department has issued a worldwide travel alert, warning of possible “unforeseen escalation” and Iranian-linked attacks on American interests abroad.

The collapse of the memorandum, mediated by Pakistan and signed on 18 June, leaves the Strait of Hormuz as the central theatre of confrontation. Iranian officials insist that Article 5 of the accord did not grant the US an independent shipping route and that Tehran’s restrictions are a “responsible response” to the use of the waterway for attacks on Iran. Meanwhile, Iranian missile and drone strikes have hit US bases and allied infrastructure in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, forcing the temporary closure of Kuwait International Airport and damaging a petroleum facility. With over 50,000 US troops deployed in the region and no diplomatic channel currently active, the conflict shows no sign of abating.