BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 17. The 60-day period set under a memorandum signed between Tehran and Washington on June 17 is no longer valid, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.
According to Baghaei, the United States violated the agreement just weeks after it was signed.
"The memorandum of understanding contains no provision regarding a 60-day period, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has never formulated its policy based on pressure, ultimatums or time limits," Baghaei said.
He said the memorandum envisaged holding negotiations within 60 days on two issues — "the lifting of sanctions" and "the nuclear issue." According to Baghaei, the period could have been extended if no agreement was reached.
"No negotiations were launched because the United States grossly and extensively violated the memorandum just a few weeks after it was signed," he said.
Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated again on July 8. On that day, U.S. forces launched several rounds of strikes on Iranian territory, for the first time since the memorandum was signed, reportedly in response to an attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
That same day, U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran had been terminated. In response, Tehran began striking U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Iranian authorities currently say the Strait of Hormuz has been closed.
