US President Donald Trump on Saturday dismissed Iran's decision to stop following the interim Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Washington, saying it made no difference to him. He stressed that the United States remains focused on ensuring Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.
Trump was asked about Tehran's announcement that it would no longer honour the agreement signed with the US last month. "I couldn't care less," Trump said in response. He added that the main goal of the conflict remains preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The temporary agreement between the US and Iran was signed in mid-June in an effort to bring an end to the conflict that began after military action by the US and Israel in February. The latest round of fighting intensified following disagreements over control and security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Ahvaz in Khuzestan province, near the Iraqi border, according to Iranian state media.
The MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely operated aircraft used by the US military for intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and precision strikes. The incident comes as tensions continue to rise in the region. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has carried out another round of military operations against Iranian-linked targets, marking the eighth straight night of strikes.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said the operation took place late Saturday after receiving direct approval from the White House. It said the strikes were launched at around 11:30 pm Eastern Time under orders from President Donald Trump.
CENTCOM said the operation was aimed at further reducing Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Reacting to the latest developments, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei strongly criticised the US administration. Khamenei, who became Supreme Leader after the death of his father Ali Khamenei earlier this year, has remained out of public view since the conflict began.
In a post on X, Mojtaba Khamenei accused the United States of repeatedly violating the agreement. He said the latest actions showed that commitments made by the US President could not be trusted.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei announced that Tehran no longer considered itself bound by the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding signed with Washington last month. He accused the United States of breaking the agreement by expanding its military operations against Iran.
According to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Baghaei said the agreement was built on mutual commitments. Since the US had failed to fulfil its obligations, Iran was no longer required to honour its side of the deal. He also said Iran's military response had been limited to self-defence and that its attacks were directed only at US military bases and equipment.
Baghaei further accused the US and Israel of targeting civilian areas during their military operations. He alleged that attacks on residential locations and civilians amounted to war crimes.
Also read: US is 'Great Satan,' its dominance is ending: Mojtaba Khamenei
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