BISHKEK, Sept 1 — Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Tehran would “immediately” reciprocate if the United States returned to a June deal aimed at ending their war.
“I state explicitly that if the United States returns to its commitments under the aforementioned memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately take reciprocal action,” Pezeshkian said at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, according to the website of the Iranian presidency.
The memorandum of understanding was aimed at ending months of hostilities between Tehran and Washington that began in late February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The deal later collapsed, with both sides accusing each other of violating its terms.
Pezeshkian’s remarks came as the Strait of Hormuz remained a key point of contention between Iran and the United States, which resumed exchanging fire on Monday after more than a month of relative calm.
Tehran has maintained its closure of the strategic waterway, while saying it would return to its commitments under the deal, which included reopening Hormuz if the United States did the same.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said “the United States must return to its commitments and to what their president signed” under the deal.
“In that case, everything can be put back on the right track.” — AFP
