Iranian president says Tehran wants return to memorandum with US

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed the country's desire to revert to the memorandum of understanding signed with the US in June during a UN General Assembly speech on Friday, despite previously stating Iran would not yield to Washington. He noted China's shared interest in reviving the agreement, asserting Iran's alignment with this viewpoint and emphasizing the significance of returning to that understanding.

Diplomatic attempts to conclude the Middle East conflict, initiated by the US and Israel through unexpected strikes on Iran in late February, have stalled for several months. Diplomatic efforts towards a comprehensive peace deal, which the June memorandum was intended to facilitate, collapsed early on. Despite some optimism that negotiations might be rekindled during the UN General Assembly this week, Pezeshkian delivered a defiant address to the global body on Wednesday, reaffirming Iran's unwillingness to submit to the US.

The following day, he told Fox News that Iran does not desire to perpetuate the war, but the responsibility for its cessation rests with Washington. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi participated in a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff and President's son-in-law Jared Kushner at the General Assembly sidelines, yet their discussions did not immediately yield a breakthrough.