Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on the US administration to abide by the memorandum of understanding and end its threats.
In a post on the social media platform X, Araghchi said that millions of Iranians had gathered in unity to honor Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and that neither the people nor the armed forces could be intimidated by threats.
The Iranian Foreign Minister cited Article 13 of the memorandum of understanding, signed last month, which stipulates that the parties shall not use or threaten force against each other, saying: "If threats continue, negotiations for a final agreement will not begin. Respect your signature."
US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday evening, said they would either reach a deal with Iran or "finish the job," repeating his threat of military action. Trump said: "I would prefer to make a deal, because I don't want it to affect 91 million people. We can destroy their bridges in an hour, cut off their energy sources... Right now they have no money, we haven't given them any money."
Secretary of Iran's National Security Council Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr described Trump's threat as "imaginary." In remarks carried by official media, Zolghadr said: "Iranians do not understand the language of threats. So address the Iranian people with respect, or we will respond in another language."
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ismail Baghaei also criticized German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's remarks on the Strait of Hormuz, calling them "shameful and a distortion of reality." Baghaei said Germany must be held accountable for its complicity in the military attack against them and pay the price.
German Minister Wadephul told the Handelsblatt newspaper that Iran had illegally laid mines in an international waterway, and that in principle it would be justified to charge Iran for the cost of clearing those mines, but that they currently had no intention of demanding such a fee.
Indirect negotiations between the US and Iran ended last week with assessments that no concrete progress had been made during the 60-day ceasefire period that followed the parties' attacks.
