Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has declared President Donald Trump's signature on a bilateral memorandum "worthless and invalid", accusing the United States of repeated violations and warning that Iran and its "Axis of Resistance" allies have "unforgettable lessons" in store. The written statement, issued Saturday, followed Iran's announcement that it no longer considers itself bound by the understanding reached with Washington roughly a month ago.
Tensions have surged despite a ceasefire agreed on June 17 that has since collapsed. A spokesperson for Iran's health ministry said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in the latest wave of U.S. strikes, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes against Kuwait and Iraq. Iran has again closed the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. has resumed a blockade of Iranian ports.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28 that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.