Iran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday defended Tehran's expired Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States as the best option for ending hostilities between the two nations, which Pezeshkian described as being "neither war nor peace."

According to Deutsche Welle, Pezeshkian stated that members of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) agreed with the assessment on the basis of "dignity, wisdom and national interest." He emphasized that the agreement does not equate to capitulation and reiterated that the supreme leader sets the policies, which they will follow.

The MoU, signed by US President Donald Trump in June, established a 60-day timeline for ending the US-Israeli-led conflict and required Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. However, the deadline passed last week with no signs of compromise from either side, leaving the situation in the Strait of Hormuz unresolved. The strait has been closed by Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks, affecting the global economy for the past six months.

On Sunday, Pezeshkian emphasized the need for Iran to move past this deadlock to attract foreign investment, stating that capital is sensitive to risk, which must be mitigated.

Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that Pakistan's top military leader, Asim Munir, would visit Iran on Monday, as part of Pakistan's efforts to promote regional peace and security. Pakistan played a crucial role in facilitating the MoU between Washington and Tehran.

Despite these developments, the SNSC's new hardline leader, Mohsen Rezaei, warned neighboring countries against assisting the US, threatening to retaliate against oil-shipping routes out of the Persian Gulf if they join the US economic war against Iran.