Iran’s president says U.S. memorandum is best path out of stalled war

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday defended the memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June as the best way for the country to move beyond a situation of “neither war nor peace.”

“There is not a single provision in this agreement that amounts to capitulation,” Pezeshkian said in a speech published by state-run IRNA.

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“The supreme leader sets the policies, and we will follow that path.”

The memorandum of understanding opened a 60-day period for talks aimed at ending the war and reaching an accord on Iran’s nuclear program.

That period ended last week, but no signs of compromise have emerged, especially on the crucial issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, vital to global shipping.

Pezeshkian linked the agreement to Iran’s economic prospects, saying the country can’t attract investment in this stalled phase. Nearly six months into the war, Iran’s economy is suffering under sanctions and a U.S. naval blockade.

The hard-line leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in his most extensive public comments since being named to the post earlier this month, warned Tehran’s neighbours against joining the new U.S. effort to hurt Iran’s economy and said they would be considered enemies.

“If (Trump) wants to do something, we will retaliate in a seismic manner,” Mohsen Rezaei told the state broadcaster in an interview that aired late Saturday.

He said Iran would target oil-shipping routes out of the Persian Gulf — alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz — if neighbours join in.

Rezaei, a former Revolutionary Guard commander and military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was part of senior appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran’s political and military stance.

There were no confirmed attacks in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 48 hours, a multinational coalition overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday, with shipping traffic still at reduced levels.

Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir will lead a delegation to Tehran on Monday, Iranian state television reported, citing Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei.

Two regional officials said the visit was part of Islamabad’s efforts to de-escalate tensions between the United States and Iran and urge them to return to the negotiating table. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

— by Munir Ahmed in Islamabad

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