Tehran, Aug 2026 : Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday defended Tehran’s recent peace memorandum of understanding with the United States, asserting that Iran entered the agreement from a position of “dignity” and “power” while remaining committed to principles outlined by former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Education Minister Alireza Kazemi, according to a statement issued by the Iranian President’s office. He stressed that the agreement should not be interpreted as a surrender or concession to Iran’s adversaries.
“We pursued the recent agreement with strength and did not surrender to our enemies,” Pezeshkian said, adding that the memorandum was prepared following extensive discussions and consultations with experts.
The Iran-US peace MoU was signed on June 18 with the stated objective of bringing an end to the war in the region. Under the understanding, Tehran and Washington were scheduled to engage in negotiations over a 60-day period, with the talks expected to conclude on Monday and pave the way towards a broader final settlement.
However, the future of the negotiations remains uncertain as tensions between Iran and the United States have intensified in recent weeks. The developments have raised questions over whether the two sides will be able to maintain the diplomatic process and translate the memorandum into a lasting agreement.
Pezeshkian’s defence of the agreement came a day after Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also voiced support for the understanding. On Saturday, Qalibaf described the peace MoU as evidence of Iran’s “glory and victory” and said it represented part of the consolidation of the country’s diplomatic gains, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
The comments from Iran’s political leadership indicate continued efforts to portray the agreement as a product of diplomatic strength rather than a compromise imposed on Tehran.
At the same time, criticism of the broader US approach to the conflict has emerged from within Washington. US Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego criticised the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran conflict, arguing that the United States entered the war without a sufficiently clear plan, exit strategy or defined mission.
Gallego, an Iraq War veteran and former US Marine Corps serviceman, said the conflict had exposed significant shortcomings in planning and leadership at the Pentagon.
“This administration did not plan for this war. They did not plan how to get out of this war, did not really understand how this war was going to escalate,” Gallego told ABC News on Sunday.
His remarks come as uncertainty persists over the future of the Iran-US diplomatic process and the broader trajectory of the conflict.
With the 60-day negotiating period approaching its scheduled conclusion, attention is now focused on whether Tehran and Washington can overcome their differences and sustain the peace process. Pezeshkian’s latest comments suggest that Iran remains keen to defend the memorandum as a strategic diplomatic achievement, even as tensions continue to complicate prospects for a final settlement.
