Iran ready to reciprocate US return to ceasefire deal, says Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday said Tehran would reciprocate any US move that signals a return to the collapsed interim ceasefire deal.

"I state explicitly that if the United States returns to its commitments under the ... memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately take reciprocal action," Pezeshkian said on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Pezeshkian accused the US of "reneging on its commitments" under the agreement, which fell apart in June, with both sides accusing the other of violating the agreement's terms.

At the time, the US carried out strikes on Iranian targets after what it called "continued aggression" against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with an Iranian drone striking a Panama-flagged tanker.

Tehran has repeatedly said it ⁠will ​allow free navigation through the Strait, but on its terms. A diplomatic solution to the conflict remains elusive.

Pezeshkian's comments come shortly after the US and Iran traded fire for the first time in over a month. The US said it struck Iranian minelaying forces on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and Iran targeted US forces in the Middle East in response.

US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that there will be a "response" to the Iranian attacks, but said the latest strikes did not mean a return to full-scale war.

Putin and Xi meet at SCO summit

Pezeshkian is due to have talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin later Tuesday.

The meeting takes place as Russia's full-scale invasion into Ukraine continues to rumble on for more than four years.

Earlier, Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has provided Russia with implicit economic backing during the Ukraine war.

According to Xi, the China-Russia pact has become "more solid" and that its "prospects will be even brighter."

On his side, Putin said the two countries' cooperation was "successfully developing on all fronts."

The SCO is a bloc promoted by Russia and China as an alternative to Western power, which has in the past mostly served for economic discussions, with Moscow and Beijing pushing its significance in recent years.

Its 10 members also include India and Pakistan, while its 15 "dialogue partners" being Turkey and Qatar, amongst others.