Iran president offers US olive branch before Putin meeting

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan — Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Tuesday that Iran will reciprocate any move by the United States to return to the June deal aimed at ending the war between the two nations, prior to his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a regional summit. The two nations, both allies, were scheduled to discuss matters off the official agenda during the SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan, a grouping led by Russia and China as a counterbalance to Western powers.

President Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran will match any U.S. actions in line with the aforementioned memorandum of understanding, according to the Iran presidency's website. The memorandum aimed at halting the hostilities that erupted between Tehran and Washington following U.S. and Israeli strikes in late February, resulting in the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The agreement, designed to pave the way for peace negotiations, ultimately fell apart, with both parties blaming each other for breaches of its provisions. As Pezeshkian's comments were made, the Strait of Hormuz remained a significant point of contention between the two countries.