New effort needed to implement Islamabad memorandum, says Iranian president Pezeshkian

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged a fresh effort to implement the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. According to a foreign news agency, in a statement issued on Sunday he held United States President Donald Trump responsible for the failure of the interim agreement.

President Pezeshkian said the parties had been holding talks, but the Americans ruined everything. He said efforts to complete the agreement should continue and the diplomatic process should not be abandoned.

According to a report by Mint Mirror, the Iranian president said Washington had damaged the progress made towards the interim agreement. The appeal to revive the Islamabad memorandum of understanding indicates that Tehran remains interested in the diplomatic path despite its criticism of United States policy.

The statement did not give details of the specific obstacles that led to the failure of the interim agreement, nor was any time set for fresh talks.

Meanwhile, President Trump has warned that the United States could attack Iran as early as the next day, but added that a major deal is still possible. Asked about military action, he declined to say when any possible operation might take place.

The conflicting statements of the two presidents show how fragile relations between Tehran and Washington are. On one side, Iran is urging fresh efforts to save the agreement, while on the other, the United States has kept open the possibility of an attack. Hopes of a return to talks and fears of further military tension therefore exist side by side.