Iran says it would return to June ceasefire deal if the US does the same

Iran has said it is ready to return to the ceasefire deal reached with the United States in June if Washington also honours the agreement. President Masoud Pezeshkian made the remarks on Tuesday at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, according to Iranian state media. His comments came after the first exchange of fire between the two countries in a month and amid renewed strain over the fragile framework.

Sponsored

Pezeshkian said that if the United States returns to its commitments in the memorandum of understanding, Iran will immediately reciprocate. The June framework called for an immediate ceasefire and opened a 60-day period of talks aimed at a wider peace deal. Under the arrangement, Tehran agreed to clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines and allow ships to pass, while Washington agreed to end its naval blockade, lift sanctions, issue waivers for Iranian oil exports and begin work on a reconstruction package for Iran.

The agreement quickly broke down, although fighting had eased before the latest exchange of fire over the weekend. On Monday, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also said the United States must honour its commitments and that the framework could help the sides move out of the current situation. Araghchi made the comments on the sidelines of the summit in Bishkek, where he is part of the Iranian delegation led by Pezeshkian.

Pezeshkian also said Tehran is not seeking war and claimed Iran has a strong record of fulfilling its international commitments and treaties. The latest remarks matter because they point to a possible diplomatic off-ramp after a renewed military flare-up. The ceasefire framework was intended to reduce immediate risk while creating space for negotiations, but its collapse has left both sides exposed to further escalation.

Sponsored

The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the deal because of its role in regional shipping, and the sanctions and blockade issues at the heart of the arrangement carry wider economic consequences. There are also signs of internal pressure on the Iranian side. The report said Iran's most powerful force remains the elite paramilitary IRGC, which is pressing for greater concessions from the United States, including Iranian control over Hormuz and financial compensation for the war.

Those demands would likely be unacceptable to Washington, making any renewed agreement difficult to secure. The comments from Pezeshkian and Araghchi suggest the civilian leadership is still signalling openness to talks, even as hardline demands remain in play. What happens next will depend on whether both sides are willing to re-engage on the terms set out in June.

It remains unclear whether the United States will respond publicly to Iran's latest position or whether the weekend exchange of fire will lead to further military action. For now, the ceasefire framework appears to be alive only if both sides decide to restore it at the same time.

#Iran #UnitedStates #ceasefire #diplomacy #StraitofHormuz

Sponsored