Iran offers conditional return to ceasefire
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran would return to the collapsed interim ceasefire agreement with the United States if Washington did the same, according to Deutsche Welle. Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Pezeshkian accused the United States of "reneging on its commitments" under the deal.
The interim ceasefire, which collapsed in June, had provided for an immediate halt to hostilities and initiated a 60-day negotiation period aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement. Under the terms, Iran agreed to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz and allow safe passage for ships during that period. In exchange, the United States committed to ending its naval blockade, lifting sanctions, granting waivers for Iranian oil exports, and beginning work on a reconstruction package for Iran.
Both sides have blamed each other for the deal's collapse. Since then, tensions in the region have remained high, with recent exchanges of fire raising concerns of a wider conflict.
Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz
The new overture from Tehran follows a series of military incidents in and around the strategic waterway. According to reports carried by Deutsche Welle, the United States conducted strikes on Iranian positions, which Washington described as targeting "continued aggression" against commercial shipping. The strikes came after an Iranian drone struck a Panama-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, an attack reported by the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center.
The US military said it struck Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island on Sunday. In response, Iran targeted American forces in the region, with reports indicating that missiles were fired at US military facilities in Jordan, though those projectiles were intercepted.
US warns of response but rules out full-scale war
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that there would be a "response" to the Iranian attacks, but said the strikes did not signal a return to full-scale war. "We'll see what happens," Trump said, according to Deutsche Welle, without providing details on the nature or timing of any US action.
The latest escalation follows US strikes on Iranian targets in response to what Washington described as "continued aggression" against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian drone had struck a Panama-flagged tanker, prompting the US military to attack Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island on Sunday. In turn, Iran fired missiles at American military facilities in Jordan, which were intercepted, according to the report.
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations unit received reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, where a tanker was hit by three projectiles, causing a fire in the accommodation block.
Diplomatic backdrop
Pezeshkian's remarks came as regional and international leaders gathered for the SCO summit in Bishkek. The Iranian president was scheduled to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Tuesday. Putin had earlier met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said the China-Russia partnership had become "even more solid" and that cooperation between the two countries was "successfully developing," echoing Putin's own assessment that bilateral ties were progressing well.
The offer to return to the ceasefire adds a diplomatic dimension to a standoff that has seen repeated exchanges of strikes and threats. While Washington has signaled it will respond to Iran's latest attacks, Trump's statement that the strikes do not mean a return to full-scale war suggested both sides may still see room for de-escalation. Iran has insisted it remains prepared to resume negotiations, but only on the basis of mutual adherence to the original agreement's terms.
Outlook
The coming days are likely to test whether the reciprocal willingness expressed by Tehran translates into concrete steps amid ongoing military exchanges. The US has not yet publicly responded to Pezeshkian's offer, and the prospect of renewed talks remains clouded by mutual accusations of bad faith. Both sides have blamed each other for the collapse of the June ceasefire, with Washington citing continued attacks on shipping and Tehran pointing to US strikes on its territory. As the situation evolves, the international community watches for any sign of de-escalation in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
This article is based on reporting by Deutsche