Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Urges US Return To June Truce Commitments At SCO

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran would “immediately” reciprocate if the United States returned to a June memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending their six-month war, signaling a potential off-ramp even as fighting flared again around the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran remained ready to honor its commitments under the deal if Washington did the same.

The June 17 MoU, signed in Islamabad by Presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian after Pakistan- and Qatar-mediated talks, had declared an immediate and permanent termination of military operations and set a 60-day window to reach a final agreement. Under its terms, the United States pledged to end its naval blockade within 30 days, withdraw forces from near Iran after a final deal, and begin work on a reconstruction and development package of at least $300 billion. Iran, in turn, committed to clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz and allowing ships to pass without charge for 60 days.

The arrangement collapsed within weeks, with both sides accusing each other of violations, and it expired on August 16 without a successor agreement. Since then, tensions have simmered over control of the strategic waterway, with Iran maintaining restrictions on navigation and the U.S. running a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. On Monday, the two countries exchanged fire for the first time in more than a month after U.S. strikes on an Iranian island in the strait, followed by Iranian missile attacks on U.S. air bases in Jordan.globalnation.

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Pezeshkian’s remarks came as the Strait of Hormuz remained the central point of contention. Tehran has insisted the waterway will stay restricted until U.S. military actions against Iran end and relevant commitments are implemented, while Washington has claimed the strait is open and accused Iran of targeting commercial shipping. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that “the United States must return to its commitments and to what their president signed,” adding that “in that case, everything can be put back on the right track.”

The broader conflict began in late February with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and targeted nuclear and military infrastructure, triggering months of retaliatory strikes and regional escalation. A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire and the June MoU halted large-scale fighting for a time, but sporadic exchanges resumed in August as negotiations stalled. Analysts describe the situation as a precarious impasse, with both sides using limited strikes to signal resolve while avoiding an all-out return to war.

At the SCO summit, Pezeshkian framed dialogue as the only sustainable solution, saying continuing the war served neither Iran nor the region. His offer to “immediately” reciprocate if the U.S. honors the June deal underscores Tehran’s attempt to portray itself as the more compliant party, even as it keeps leverage through its control of Hormuz traffic. With oil markets sensitive to any disruption in the strait and regional allies pressing for de-escalation, the next moves by Washington and Tehran could determine whether the MoU framework can be revived or whether the conflict drifts into a new, more dangerous phase.

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