Iranian President Pezeshkian Hints at Resumed Diplomacy: 'Immediate Reciprocal Steps if U.S. Honors Agreement'

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has opened the door to resuming peace negotiations, stating that Iran will take immediate reciprocal measures if the United States implements the ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached last June.

According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency on the 1st local time, President Pezeshkian made the remarks during a speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, criticizing the U.S. for violating the agreement previously made with Iran last June.

He stated that after about three months of negotiations mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, the two sides reached a ceasefire MOU, but U.S. President Donald Trump broke the promise by making excessive demands. He claimed that Iran has responded proportionally to U.S. violations.

"Iran is not an aggressor and has only defended itself," President Pezeshkian pointed out, adding that "lasting peace cannot be achieved through diplomacy that lacks good faith and the fulfillment of promises, and does not rule out the use of force. Policies of pressure and threats only undermine diplomatic efforts."

He emphasized, "If the United States returns to its obligations under the aforementioned MOU, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately take corresponding actions."

President Pezeshkian also defined the attacks targeting his country by the U.S. and Israel as a "clear violation of the UN Charter and international law."

He listed specific damages, including the assassination of the Supreme Leader, the bombing of Minab School which claimed the lives of 168 students, and strikes on the Lamard Stadium and key national infrastructure.

In particular, pointing out that even peaceful nuclear facilities monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were attacked, he asked, "If such acts become normalized without a response from the international community, which nation can be confident of its sovereignty and security tomorrow?"

In addition, he expressed deep disappointment with the response of the United Nations and the Security Council to the attacks on the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and recently Iran, stating that the UN must reform to fulfill its original mission of peacekeeping in line with a multipolar system.

Six months after the outbreak of the war, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between the U.S. and Iran remain deadlocked.

The 60-day deadline set at the time of the tentative agreement in June to forge a final peace treaty, including Iran's nuclear program, expired last month.

Recently, delegations of mediator countries such as Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman visited Tehran to resume negotiations, but they have yet to reach an agreement on core issues such as the shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic choke point that was open before the war, is currently tightening the squeeze on global energy trade amid Iran's vessel controls and attacks, coupled with the U.S. maritime blockade of Iranian ports.

President Trump has declared an "economic war" on Iran, warning of sanctions against countries that trade with Iran.

Meanwhile, military tensions in the Gulf have escalated further as both sides recently exchanged armed attacks again after about a month.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.