Tehran

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Wednesday criticised US President Donald Trump over his remarks on the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), accusing Washington of reneging on its commitments and calling for accountability over what he termed US misconduct.

In a post on X, Baghaei said, "Washington’s contempt for diplomacy is once again laid bare. President Trump’s admission that he never believed in the Islamabad MoU and considered it a waste of time exposes the hollowness of their diplomatic commitments."

"For Iran, this is nothing new. Washington has a long record of reneging on its commitments and treating international obligations as disposable whenever they become inconvenient," he added.

Baghae also criticised European states and others for their response to Washington, stating, "There is absolutely no justification for European states and other apologists for Washington to continue whitewashing U.S. misconduct and shielding it from accountability."

"Broken commitments cannot be excused, international law cannot be applied selectively, and no amount of political spin can absolve Washington of accountability," the Iranian spokesperson said.

The remarks come amid Trump's recent statements on the conflict with Iran. 

Speaking at a rally in Lubbock, Texas, on Wednesday (local time), the US President said America did not initiate the war with Iran and accused Tehran of waging a conflict against Washington since 1979.

"America did not start the war with Iran. Iran has been waging this war against America since 1979, killing many of our great people. They've killed thousands of our soldiers and wounded so many more," Trump said.

He further criticised previous US leaders over their handling of the issue, saying, "Past leaders should have settled this problem long ago, but they didn't have the courage or intelligence to do it."

Trump also addressed a question about when the war in Iran would end, saying, "Somebody asked me before, 'When will the war in Iran end?' I said, 'Whenever I want it to end.'"

Meanwhile, as the election results are awaited in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing supporters at the Likud party's election headquarters at Binyenei Ha'uma, the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, said that the country had an opportunity to address the threat posed by Iran alongside Washington.

"And I would like to tell you all: Israel now has a historic, a one-off opportunity with our partner Donald Trump to remove that threat of the Iranian regime," Netanyahu said.

Earlier, on October 26, according to Al Arabiya, Trump, during an election rally in Mississippi, had said, “We did a little ceasefire, which I never liked very much. I considered it sort of a waste of time. But you know, you like to listen to professionals.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday,  Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has emphasised the importance of maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard national and regional security, following a meeting with Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Major General Mohsen Rezaei, amid continuing tensions in West Asia.

In a series of posts on X, statements attributed to Khamenei highlighted discussions on national security, regional cooperation and Iran's strategic interests.

“The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, met with Major General Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. The Leader emphasised the interconnectedness of four areas—culture, politics, the economy, and security— in the SNSC,” one of the posts said.

Highlighting the importance of the Strait of Hormuz, Khamenei also stressed strengthening bilateral relations with neighbouring countries based on mutual interests.

“Safeguarding national and regional security by maintaining control over the #Strait_of_Hormuz, and strengthening bilateral relations with neighboring countries on the basis of lasting and mutual interests were some of the other key topics discussed during the meeting,” another post stated.

During the meeting, Khamenei reportedly described the enemy's desperation as one of the outcomes of Iran's national resistance.

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Khamenei also called for ending the prevailing situation of “neither war nor peace” and stressed proactive communication to sustain public participation in defending the country.

The remarks come days after Rezaei warned that any military action against Iran would carry consequences, while maintaining that Tehran preferred diplomacy if it could prevent further confrontation.