Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated on Thursday that Tehran is prepared to pursue an agreement with the United States aimed at ending the war, expressing hope that a previous memorandum of understanding between the two countries could be revived before the US midterm congressional elections scheduled for November.
Speaking in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iran does not want the war to continue and hopes Washington will return to the previous understanding, which included arrangements for a temporary ceasefire before the agreement collapsed.
“We do not want this to continue until the midterm elections,” Pezeshkian said, stressing that Tehran remains ready to move forward with understandings reached with Washington.
In another interview, the Iranian president said his country had already reached an agreement with US President Donald Trump and was prepared to implement it and move forward with the arrangements.
Pezeshkian: Iran Does Not Seek War
Asked whether the war could end before the end of the year, Pezeshkian said the United States would have to make the decision to bring the conflict to an end.
He stressed that Iran does not seek war but would defend itself if attacked, arguing that Tehran was not the party that initiated the conflict and would respond firmly if fighting against it continued.
Strait of Hormuz and Nuclear Program
Pezeshkian also addressed the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran had not closed the strategic waterway before coming under attack and that Tehran’s measures were taken after the military escalation against it.
Regarding Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, Pezeshkian said Tehran was prepared to give up uranium enriched to 60% as part of its commitments under international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
He also criticized the US position on the war, arguing that the attacks and weapons used against Iran were inconsistent with claims of seeking to help the Iranian people.
White House Responds to Pezeshkian
In response, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly accused the Iranian government of killing thousands of people inside Iran and carrying out attacks against Americans and hostile actions across the Middle East.
She said President Donald Trump is seeking to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, arguing that achieving that objective would contribute to international security and stability.
Pezeshkian’s comments came after Trump said in an earlier address to the United Nations General Assembly that he believed an agreement with Iran could be reached after the US midterm elections, suggesting that Tehran might be waiting for the election results before making a decision on a settlement.
Hormuz as Leverage in US-Iran Talks
The statements come as Washington and Tehran continue contacts over ending the war, amid disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, the future of the Strait of Hormuz and freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major point of leverage in the negotiations, with Iran seeking relief from sanctions and economic pressure, while the United States is seeking guarantees for freedom of navigation through the critical waterway for global energy supplies.
