Pezeshkian Blames US, Seeks Renewed Deal Talks

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Oct. 24, 2026 blamed the United States for the collapse of an interim agreement reached last June and said Tehran still wants to conclude a deal. In remarks broadcast on Iranian state television he said the Americans "messed everything up" and that negotiators should finish the work. The June understanding, signed by both presidents, was meant to halt fighting and open a path to broader talks; AP reported it collapsed within days. During September UN meetings Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. lifted a naval blockade, eased oil-export restrictions, released frozen assets and helped end hostilities. AP reported President Donald Trump rejected that proposal on Sept. 26. Contested: Pezeshkian attributes the June collapse to U.S. actions; the record contains no parallel U.S. account of why the deal failed. Trump said at a Fort Myers rally on Oct. 23 the U.S. "may do another little Epic Fury," after earlier saying Washington would not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterms; whether that earlier stance has changed is not clarified. Iranian security officials told Reuters that if Iran is attacked "there will be no more red lines" including undersea cables; Yadollah Javani said Iran could target seven major cables beneath the Strait of Hormuz. Alan Mauldin of TeleGeography said less than one percent of international bandwidth passes through that strait. Alex Vatanka said Tehran wants Gulf states and corporate executives to press Trump over investment risks. Axios cited an Oct. 23 Jay Clayton memo to Marco Rubio on Iranian plots against U.S. officials; CNN reported reduced U.S. embassy staffing in the UAE, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan. No new agreement has been reached.