On Tuesday, September 1, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei condemned what he described as the United States’ ill intentions toward Tehran and affirmed that Iran’s retaliatory attacks on August 30 were justified. Speaking to reporters, Baghaei said the U.S. aggression targets all Iranian interests and cited the night‑time strikes on Larak Island as proof that Washington continues to violate international norms.
Baghaei added that the economic sanctions imposed by the Trump administration have severely impacted ordinary Iranians, calling the policy a “massive error” that the United States is now unable to correct. He warned that repeated miscalculations and excessive demands would only deepen the impasse, emphasizing that Iran will not accept any externally dictated orders.
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan, President Masoud Pezeshkian offered a conditional path back to peace. He stated that if the United States honors its commitments under the June memorandum of understanding, Iran will immediately reciprocate. The now‑defunct MOU had called for an immediate ceasefire, a 60‑day negotiation window, Iranian clearance of mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. actions such as lifting the naval blockade, easing sanctions, issuing oil export waivers, and launching a reconstruction package.
Although the agreement collapsed quickly, a temporary lull in fighting persisted until both sides exchanged fire over the recent weekend. While Pezeshkian continues to push for a negotiated settlement, the Revolutionary Guard remains influential, demanding broader concessions such as Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz and financial compensation for war damages—terms Washington is unlikely to accept.
In a separate development, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council announced the completion of investigations into 5,704 suspected Islamic State members transferred from Syria earlier this year. The council will release hundreds of detainees and forward the remainder to trial. The detainees, drawn from 67 nationalities including 3,497 Syrians and 474 Iraqis, were originally held by Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces. Insufficient evidence led to the release of a Finnish national, an American, and seven Iraqis to their home countries, while 457 Syrian suspects are slated for release.
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📰 Source: Siasat Gulf