Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Iran offers reciprocal move if US returns to war deal
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Tehran would take immediate reciprocal action if the United States returned to a June deal aimed at ending their war, while thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow's support at a summit in Bishkek.
Pezeshkian spoke at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where more than a dozen leaders gathered, including Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The June deal was intended to prepare final peace talks but has collapsed after both sides accused each other of violating its terms.
Pezeshkian warned that a US return to “a policy of pressure and threats” risked derailing diplomatic efforts to end the war. He later met Putin and told him: “We appreciate and thank you for your positions at every stage.” He said the relationship between Iran and Russia was strategic, not ordinary.
Putin said Russia was “trying to provide you with the assistance you need” and admired Iran's “courage and resilience in the fight for your national interests,” according to Russian media. He also said Russia and Iran were maintaining momentum in trade and economic relations despite the military and political situation.
The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran “hard” after the foes traded fire for the first time in weeks. The Middle East war began in late February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has maintained its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, while saying it would return to its commitments under the June deal, including reopening Hormuz, if the United States did the same. Russia and Iran are both under extensive international sanctions and have deepened military and trade ties during Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Update
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would take reciprocal action if the United States returned to a June deal aimed at ending the war.
Pezeshkian warned that a US return to pressure and threats could derail diplomatic efforts.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia was trying to provide Iran with the assistance it needed, according to Russian media.
Pezeshkian said Iran would return to June commitments, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, if the United States did the same.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 14:26:25 UTC.
Update
Pezeshkian said Iran and Russia had a strategic relationship, not an ordinary one.
Pezeshkian and Putin last met at a summit in Turkmenistan in December 2025.
The item adds background on the February 28 start of the war, the April 8 ceasefire, the Strait of Hormuz blockade and US economic pressure on Iran.
Putin told Iran's foreign minister in late April that Moscow would do everything to help secure peace in the Middle East.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 12:51:20 UTC.
Update
Masoud Pezeshkian directly thanked Vladimir Putin at their first meeting since the Middle East war broke out.
Pezeshkian said Iran appreciated Russia's positions during the fighting, during what he called acts of aggression, and during US sanctions at the United Nations and other forums.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 12:41:42 UTC.
Update
State media reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia's stances during the war with the United States.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 12:33:54 UTC.
Update
Iran's presidency said Masoud Pezeshkian held talks with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan.
The presidency said the two leaders reviewed the latest state of bilateral relations.
The presidency said they discussed ways to strengthen and expand cooperation in various fields.
The statement was accompanied by images of Putin and Pezeshkian shaking hands.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 12:07:25 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The source does not establish which side was responsible for the collapse of the June deal.
The prospects for any renewed US-Iran deal remain unresolved.
Source
AFP news report published on .