Iran warned Tuesday that it would respond militarily if U.S. pressure intensifies, as Tehran simultaneously signaled that it remains willing to return to the ceasefire agreement reached with Washington earlier this year.
“If the U.S. siege is intensified, we will definitely respond militarily,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said, according to Iranian media.
The warning came as President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran was prepared to immediately return to the June ceasefire arrangement if the United States did the same.
Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan, Pezeshkian said: “If the U.S. returns to its commitments in the memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately reciprocate,” according to Iranian state media.
The June memorandum called for an immediate ceasefire and launched a 60-day negotiating period aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement. Under its terms, Iran agreed to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz and allow shipping to pass during that period.
The United States, in turn, agreed to end its naval blockade, lift sanctions, issue waivers for Iranian oil exports and begin work on a reconstruction package for Iran, among other measures.
The agreement broke down quickly. Fighting later subsided for a period, but Iran and the United States exchanged fire again over the weekend.
Pezeshkian has also held talks with major Iranian partners on the sidelines of the summit. Iran’s foreign minister met his Chinese counterpart, while Pezeshkian met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
(Photo: AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Putin said before their meeting that Moscow had welcomed the earlier ceasefire between Iran and the United States, but acknowledged that the arrangement had failed to hold.
The “truce proved unstable and all too fragile,” Putin said.
At the same time, Iran has been working with Oman on a possible framework for managing shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, though it remains unclear whether such an arrangement would be acceptable to Washington.
Other Gulf states have called for the strategic waterway to reopen without conditions.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Tuesday, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The agency said the two leaders discussed “ongoing efforts to maintain regional security and stability,” but did not specifically mention the Strait of Hormuz.