Iran Offers to Resume Ceasefire if US Honors Deal

President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Iran will return to a ceasefire memorandum if the United States resumes fulfilling its commitments. Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Pezeshkian stated that Iran would respond in kind as soon as the U.S. returns to its obligations, arguing that continued war was in no one's interest.

The two nations signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18 to end military conflict, but the agreement collapsed after U.S. forces launched strikes on Iran starting July 8. These strikes were allegedly in response to Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire invalid on July 9, prompting Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz on July 12 until the end of U.S. involvement in the region.

While Pezeshkian advocated for diplomacy and cooperation during the summit, reports indicate he has had inconsistent access to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Khamenei has maintained a low public profile since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, in March following a February 28 strike during the US-Israeli war on Iran.