Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Tuesday that Tehran would immediately return to its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding if the United States honors its obligations under the agreement.
Speaking at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran's willingness to restore the agreement while accusing Washington of breaching its terms.
"I state clearly that if the United States returns to its commitments under the memorandum, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately reciprocate," Pezeshkian stated during his main address.
The Iranian president criticized the US administration, claiming Washington failed to uphold the terms less than two weeks after the document was executed. He noted that subsequent military actions by Iran were proportionate responses to American non-compliance.
Pezeshkian highlighted the context of the deal, explaining that the memorandum followed 40 days of armed conflict and nearly three months of intense diplomatic negotiations brokered by Pakistan and Qatar. He asserted that Washington agreed to a ceasefire framework only after failing to achieve its strategic military objectives during the conflict.
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed in June after Pakistani and Qatari mediation brought an end to direct military engagements between US and Iranian forces. The framework established provisions for an immediate halt to hostilities, guaranteed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, and set a roadmap for follow-up negotiations regarding regional security and nuclear oversight.
In addition to addressing bilateral tensions with Washington, Pezeshkian used the regional summit to present structural economic proposals to the ten-member Eurasian bloc. To expand financial autonomy and deepen integration among member states, Pezeshkian proposed three main initiatives:
* The establishment of an SCO multilateral development bank.
* The creation of an export insurance and investment union.
* The formation of a joint energy consortium to manage regional resource supply chains.
The SCO summit brought together heads of state from across the region to deliberate on counter-terrorism, financial integration, and economic cooperation. Established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the organization has expanded to ten full member states, with Iran gaining full membership status in 2023.
