Iran's president says Iran would return to ceasefire agreement if US does

DUBAI: Iran's president said Tuesday that his country is ready to return to the ceasefire deal reached with the United States in June if Washington does the same, in conciliatory remarks following the first exchange of fire between the two countries in a month.

Here's a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East.

Iran's president says his country would return to ceasefire agreement if US does as well

Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that “if the US returns to its commitments in the memorandum of understanding, the Islamic Republic of Iran will immediately reciprocate,” Iranian state media reported.

The June memorandum of understanding provided for an immediate ceasefire and started a 60-day period for negotiations aimed at reaching a wider peace deal. Iran agreed to clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines and allow ships to pass during the period, and the US agreed to end its naval blockade, lift sanctions, issue waivers for Iranian oil exports and begin work on a reconstruction package for Iran, among other things.

The agreement broke down quickly, and while there has been a lull in fighting, the two sides exchanged fire on the weekend with the US targeting Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran responding by firing missiles at American military facilities in Jordan, which were intercepted.

While Pezeshkian has long favoured a negotiated end to the war, the most powerful force in Iran remains the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which is pressing for greater concessions from the US, including Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz and financial compensation for the war. Those conditions would likely be unacceptable to Washington.

The leaders of China, Russia and India are all attending the summit in Kyrgyzstan, which has been billed as a counterweight to US global influence.

Iran's foreign minister has already held meetings with his Chinese counterpart and Pezeshkian was due to have talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin later Tuesday.

Two ships attacked in and around Strait of Hormuz

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it received reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, and a second report of an incident involving a tanker in waters nearby.

In the first incident, the UKMTO said a tanker was hit by three projectiles Monday on its way out of the Persian Gulf through the strait east of Oman.

The monitoring agency said there were no reports of casualties on the boat or of any environmental impact caused by the attack.

In the second incident, the UKMTO said it had received a report “involving a tanker and military forces” on Monday off the coast of Oman, east of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ambrey, a UK-based maritime risk and response company, reported in addition that the vessel had reportedly been stopped and remained adrift. There were no reports of casualties.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but Iran has fired regularly on ships in the Strait of Hormuz as it continues to restrict traffic through the key waterway. The US has also fired on ships as it maintains its blockade of Iranian ports.