On July 14 (local time), according to Xinhua, more than 180 parliamentarians in the Iranian Parliament signed a joint statement, calling on the Government and Parliament to take a tough stance in the face of the US's move to declare the end of the peaceful memorandum of understanding (MoU) previously signed by the two countries.
The statement was made in the first public session of the Iranian Parliament since the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran broke out on February 28.
The senators proposed that the National Assembly Chairmanship establish a special committee to review all issues related to the negotiation process as well as the agreements signed with the US.
In addition, the Iranian Parliament affirmed that it will prioritize promoting the upgrading and transformation of defense doctrines, and consider issuing laws to strengthen Iran's sovereignty and management rights over the Strait of Hormuz - a strategic shipping route transporting about 20% of global oil consumption.
In the statement, the parliamentarians also reiterated their call for retaliation for the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who Iran confirmed was killed in an attack carried out by the US and Israel at the end of February this year.
The new move by the Iranian Parliament comes just days after military tensions between Tehran and Washington flared up again, despite the two sides signing a peace memorandum in mid-June. According to this agreement, Iran and the US are expected to begin talks within 60 days to move towards a comprehensive agreement.
However, on July 9, US President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran "is over" and affirmed that he "no longer wants to continue working with Iran", making the prospect of resuming dialogue between the two countries more fragile.
Observers believe that the tough statement from the Iranian Parliament shows that Iran's stance is becoming increasingly assertive after the reconciliation process with the US fell into deadlock, and at the same time signals the risk of escalating tensions in the Middle East.
