Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on Tuesday that Tehran is prepared for a military confrontation should the United States fail to comply with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on 19 June. The warning, delivered in a televised interview, came as technical-level discussions between the two sides continued in Doha under Qatari mediation. According to Iranian officials, the current talks are confined to implementing the existing 14-point MoU and do not constitute political negotiations on a final agreement. Ghalibaf said Iran would not enter the next stage of the diplomatic process until five preliminary clauses were fully realised: a definitive end to the war in Lebanon, the lifting of the US naval blockade, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the issuance of waivers for Iranian crude exports, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

Viewed from Tehran, the sequencing of the MoU is non-negotiable. Ghalibaf described the US commitment to end hostilities in Lebanon—enshrined in Article 1 of the memorandum—as a “very big victory” that must be consolidated before other provisions are addressed. He confirmed that a joint committee comprising Iranian, US, and Lebanese representatives had been formed to oversee the ceasefire and uphold Lebanese sovereignty. On the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian speaker asserted that free passage would remain in effect only during the 60-day implementation period, after which a tolling system would be introduced for navigation services. He also reported that Iran had exported more than 40 million barrels of oil since the blockade was lifted, contrasting this with a prior period of nearly 60 days during which, he claimed, not a single barrel could be shipped.

From Washington, President Donald Trump adopted a more measured tone, stating that Iran had agreed not to acquire a nuclear weapon and expressing confidence that progress was being made “both diplomatically and militarily.” The US Treasury issued a general license permitting the extraction, supply, and sale of Iranian oil, with the temporary sanctions relief set to expire on 21 August. American officials have not publicly detailed their interpretation of the MoU’s sequencing, but the Doha talks are described by the Qatari foreign ministry as technical discussions linked to the memorandum’s implementation, including the release of frozen assets. No high-level meetings between the two sides are scheduled in the coming days, according to Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.

Iran’s nuclear programme remains a central undercurrent. Ghalibaf reiterated that Iran’s nuclear rights and “red lines” are non-negotiable, while stressing that all activities remain within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision. He cited the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as evidence that even Security Council ratification does not provide an enforceable guarantee, a reference to the US withdrawal from that accord in 2018. The current MoU does not address the nuclear file directly; its focus is on de-escalation and confidence-building measures. The technical talks in Doha are expected to continue, with the next phase of the diplomatic process contingent on verified compliance with the five key clauses.