Iran’s President Pezeshkian says Tehran will retaliate “immediately” if US goes back on June MOU commitments | Today’s news
Days after the United States and Iran exchanged fire for the first time in a month, raising the risk of renewed tensions in the Middle East, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran would retaliate “immediately” if Washington returned to a June deal aimed at ending their war.
Iranian leaders are asking the US to abide by the June memorandum of understanding
Pezeshkian made the remarks at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. State media quoted him as saying: “I expressly state that if the United States returns to its obligations under the above-mentioned memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately take reciprocal measures.”
He further said: “The attacks carried out by the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) against Iran on June 13, 2025 and February 28, 2026 were a clear violation of the basic principles of the UN Charter and international law, against the principle of non-use of force and against the right to life.
Earlier on Monday (local time), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that “the United States must return to its commitments and what its president signed as part of the deal,” AFP reported.
US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June aimed at ending the conflict. The agreement also set the stage for a 60-day negotiation period to end the conflict permanently. Weeks later, however, both sides resumed attacks, with the US enforcing its naval blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran closing the Strait of Hormuz, which had been a key point of contention between the two sides since the talks began.
According to reports, the Islamic Republic maintained the closure of the strategic waterway while saying it would return to its commitments under the deal, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, if Washington did the same.
Pezeshkian criticizes the violation of international law
In his speech at the 26th SCO summit, Pezeshkian highlighted Tehran’s “splendid track record” in honoring international commitments and treaties, while warning that unilateral actions, military force, illegal sanctions and geopolitical rivalry undermine stability in the region and beyond, ANI reported.
Pezeshkian said the latest developments in West Asia, particularly in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, showed how ignoring international law and relying on force and coercion can threaten national security and undermine regional and global stability. He said the attacks on Iran had caused significant loss of life, including strikes that hit a school in Minab and a stadium in Lamerd in Fars province.
Before leaving for Bishkek, Pezeshkian said that Tehran does not seek war, but will respond with force and determination to any aggression. He noted that instability in the region harms all nations and stressed the need for convergence to achieve economic and security goals.
His comments came a day after the US president told Fox News that “there will be a response” to the Iranian attacks, while later telling reporters in the Oval Office that the renewed strikes did not represent a return to full-scale war.
