Iran's president says MoU with US achieved in full coordination with supreme leader

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that the recent peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States was achieved in full coordination with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and with the support of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

Speaking during a visit to the central Iranian province of Qom, Pezeshkian said, "All stages of negotiations (with the United States) were pursued within the framework of the (Iranian) establishment's macro policies, in full and continuous coordination with the supreme leader, and within the context of the country's legal mechanisms," according to a statement published on the website of his office.

He added that despite the existing security restrictions and considerations, the agreement's final text was evaluated by relevant Iranian authorities and received the decisive support of the SNSC members.

Pezeshkian said that the MoU is a diplomatic achievement for the Iranian people, stressing that Iran will under no circumstances back down from its people's rights, fundamental principles, and national interests in its negotiations with the United States to reach a final agreement.

On June 18, Iran and the United States signed the MoU on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon. The two sides have begun negotiations to reach a final agreement, mainly on Iran's nuclear program and sanctions relief.

On Monday, Pezeshkian said in a post on the social media platform X that reaching an understanding is a bilateral matter, adding that if the United States honors the MoU, "we will also fulfill our obligations."

He also stressed that Iran responds to "unreasonable boasting and unfounded threats" with rational decision-making and decisive, fearless self-defense.