Iran withdraws from MoU and plans control of Strait of Hormuz 'no matter what'

Iran withdraws from MoU and plans control of Strait of Hormuz 'no matter what' The Strait of Hormuz has been a point of contention in the conflict which started on February 28, when joint US-Israeli attacks were carried out on several key Iranian sites. Iran has withdraw from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US on what it says is 'American violations'. Iran's Deputy Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said his country will exercise "full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, no matter the costs," The Hormuz Letter reports. It is understood that this will include Oman's half of the critical waterway. Gharibabadi said that while Oman is normally one of two countries controlling the strait, "for national security reasons Iran must control all of the strait" during wartime, Tasnim news agency reports. The Strait of Hormuz has been a point of contention in the conflict. Iran closed the critical trade route, through which 20% of all global oil traded passes, in retaliation to joint US-Israeli attacks on several key Iranian sites which started at the end of February. On June 17, the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring the war to an end within 60 days. The countries were working towards securing a lasting peace agreement to end the war, restore international shipping through the strait and settle an ongoing dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme. However, US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire was "over" at a NATO summit in Türkiye last week. "I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum," he told reporters. Gharibabadi said that the US not only violated the agreement, but completely dismantled it, especially with the naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iran "will never request negotiations with the United States," he said. Trump has responded furiously, seemingly announcing strikes on all of Iran's power plants, bridges and energy sites, starting next week. "We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants,” he said. “Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”