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Pezeshkian Reaffirms Commitment to MoU
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Iran will “immediately reciprocate” if the United States returns to its commitments under the interim deal signed in June, as tensions escalate following a fresh exchange of direct attacks between the two countries.
The statement was made at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday . Pezeshkian emphasized: “I am stating clearly that if the US returns to its commitments under the Memorandum of Understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately reciprocate” .
His comments reference the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a framework agreement signed in June 2026 that was intended to end the war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 .
Fresh Attacks Mark Escalation
The president’s remarks came after the first direct attacks in the conflict since late July, with the U.S. striking Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran responding with attacks on two U.S. air bases in Jordan . U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News “there will be a response” following the Iranian attacks, but later told reporters in the Oval Office that the strikes did not signal a return to full-scale war .
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attacks on the U.S. bases, describing them as retaliation for what it called “terrorist aggressions” by the U.S. military . The attacks came despite a four-day pause in strikes by both sides over the weekend .
US-Iran Conflict
Pezeshkian reiterated that war is in no one’s interest and that Tehran remains open to a negotiated solution . However, Iran continues to insist that the Strait of Hormuz will only be reopened if Washington implements the June agreement, specifically ending its naval blockade and halting military threats . The U.S. is preparing to announce “the toughest sanctions in history” against Iran’s oil sector, raising concerns they could be as severe as those imposed during the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign before the February 28 strikes .
