PEZESHKIAN: MEMORANDUM BEST PATH TO ENDING WAR

TEHRAN, AUGUST 23 /SRNA/ - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that a memorandum of understanding with the United States is the best way to break the deadlock in efforts to end the war.

In a speech carried by state news agency IRNA, Pezeshkian said the memorandum was the best way for the country to overcome the current situation of "neither war nor peace". He added that members of Iran's Supreme National Security Council believe the memorandum represents the best possible agreement based on dignity, wisdom and the national interest. "There is no provision in this agreement that amounts to capitulation. The Supreme Leader determines policy, and we will follow that path," Pezeshkian said. He stressed that Tehran had no intention of yielding to its adversaries, but pointed to the economic benefits the Islamic Republic could gain from the agreement, saying the country could not attract investment under the current circumstances. "Capital and money are extremely sensitive to risk. We must remove this risk from the country," he said. The agreement, known as a Memorandum of Understanding, which US President Donald Trump signed in June, set an ambitious 60-day deadline for ending the war with Iran and reaching an agreement on its nuclear program. That period expired last week, but the positions of the two sides remain far apart, with no signs of compromise on the key issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which is vital to global shipping.