Iran Demands US Honor MoU Commitments as Regional Tensions Flare

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that Iran is prepared to honor the terms of an interim agreement reached with the United States in June, provided that Washington does the same. Speaking at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, President Masoud Pezeshkian made these remarks just a day after the first exchange of fire between the US and Iran in nearly a month. The recent hostilities involved US forces attacking Larak Island, which prompted an Iranian retaliation targeting two airbases utilized by them in Jordan.

“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,” stated President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.

The agreement in question was a Pakistan- and Qatar-brokered MoU signed in mid-June, designed to extend a ceasefire and open a 60-day negotiation window to end the conflict that began with US and Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28. Under the terms, Iran committed to clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz and allowing vessel passage, while the US agreed to lift its naval blockade, suspend sanctions, grant waivers for Iranian oil exports, and initiate a reconstruction package.

However, the ceasefire quickly unraveled amid renewed strikes and Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the strait, leading the MoU to lapse last month. “America's commitment to the document signed by the president of that country lasted less than two weeks, and that country's excessive demands and reneging on its commitments began, which still continues,” President Masoud Pezeshkian noted.

Echoing these sentiments, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused the US of breaking its promises. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized that sincere implementation of the June MoU remains the only viable path to ending the conflict. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari also warned that regional escalation benefits no one, noting that Qatar and international partners are actively pursuing a peaceful resolution and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following recent diplomatic efforts involving officials from Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman visiting Tehran.