Peşeshkian defends US-brokered memorandum as best way out of "neither war nor peace"

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended a recently signed memorandum of understanding as the best available path to move Tehran out of what he described as a situation of "neither war nor peace," according to a statement published by the state news agency IRNA early today.

In his remarks Pezeshkian urged scrutiny of the document's text and rejected accusations of capitulation. "Look at the provisions of the memorandum; you will not find a single clause in which we have withdrawn or surrendered," he said.

He said members of Iran's Supreme National Security Council consider the memorandum to be the best possible agreement given what he called dignity, wisdom and national interest, framing the deal as an exercise in protecting the country's standing.

Terms, timeline and stalled talks

The accord, described as a Memorandum of Understanding and signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in June, set an ambitious 60-day deadline for ending the war with Iran and reaching an agreement on its nuclear programme. That 60-day period expired last week, but both sides remain far apart on core issues, with no sign of compromise over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint vital for global shipping.

Linking the political deal to economic needs, Pezeshkian warned that Iran cannot attract investment while the situation remains stalled. "Capital and money are the most sensitive inhuman things that exist," he said. "We must remove this risk from the country."

Nearly six months after the outbreak of the conflict with the United States and Israel, Iran's economy is suffering under sanctions and a naval blockade that has made oil exports — the country's most valuable commodity — much more difficult.

Photo: press material from the event