Iran-US Talks: Pezeshkian Defends Peace MoU As Future Of Negotiations Remains Uncertain

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran pursued its recent peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US with respect and strength, while keeping in mind principles outlined by former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Pezeshkian made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting attended by Education Minister Alireza Kazemi.

According to a statement from his office, the Iranian President defended the MoU signed by Iran and the US on June 18 to end the conflict in the region.

The president said the agreement was prepared after extensive and detailed consultations with experts and maintained that Iran had not compromised its position before its adversaries.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf described the peace MoU on Saturday as evidence of Iran’s honour and victory, according to the official IRNA news agency. He said the agreement represented a step towards consolidating Iran’s diplomatic gains.

Under the MoU, Iran and the US were likely to negotiate and reach a final agreement within 60 days ending on Monday.

The future of the talks has become uncertain amid rising tensions between the two countries in recent weeks.

US Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego said on Sunday that President Donald Trump’s administration entered the Iran war without a clear plan, exit strategy or defined mission, leaving American troops to bear the consequences.

Gallego, an Iraq War veteran and former Marine, said the conflict had exposed serious shortcomings in Pentagon planning and leadership.

Speaking to ABC News, Ruben Gallego criticised the administration’s preparedness for the conflict and its ability to anticipate how the war could escalate and eventually end.

The Arizona senator was responding to reports of fatigue, declining morale and mental health concerns aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

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