Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei declared on Monday, 24 August that Tehran will not allow the ongoing conflict to conclude on conditions dictated by what he called the “aggressive” parties, signalling a hardened Iranian stance amid a fragile and repeatedly violated ceasefire. The remarks came at a weekly press conference in Tehran, as diplomatic tensions between Iran and the United States sharply escalated.

Iran's Core Position

“We have definitely not been the party to start the war, but we will not let the war’s end be based on the aggressive parties’ conditions,” Baghaei said. He added that Iran remained committed to defending its territory and would not “compromise with the aggressive parties” or yield to their “excessive demands.” The language marks one of Tehran’s starkest public rejections of any externally imposed settlement framework.

Strait of Hormuz and the US Economic Operation

Baghaei dismissed US assertions that the Strait of Hormuz was open and that millions of barrels of oil were flowing through it daily, characterising those claims as “psychological and media warfare.” He also hit out at a newly announced US anti-Iran economic operation, which President Donald Trump described on Wednesday as “the most crushing economic operation ever taken” against any country providing a lifeline to Iran — calling it “an economic D-Day.” Tehran, Baghaei said, would deploy all its “multilateral capacities” to counter the sanctions, which he described as an assault on free trade and national sovereignty.

Warning to Third Countries

The spokesman warned that nations assisting US anti-Iran operations could face unspecified consequences. He labelled the US naval blockade an “act of aggression.” On reports in Western media that Iran could strike US bases in Europe if hostilities resumed, Baghaei said Iran reserves the right to target the origin of any “act of aggression” if a third country allows its bases, facilities, or equipment to be used for such actions.

Ceasefire Timeline and MoU Collapse

A ceasefire between the warring parties was reached on 8 April. On 18 June, Iran and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on ending the war across all fronts, including Lebanon. However, sporadic attacks by either side continued, and the MoU was not renewed after it lapsed. The breakdown of that framework has left the conflict in a volatile limbo, with both sides publicly hardening their positions.

What Comes Next

With the MoU expired, no active diplomatic mechanism is publicly known to be in place. The US sanctions escalation and Iran’s explicit rejection of adversary-set terms suggest that any renewed negotiations face steep preconditions. The status of the Strait of Hormuz — a critical artery for global oil supply — remains a flashpoint, with both sides offering contradictory accounts of its operational status. Regional and global energy markets will be watching closely for any further escalation.