The United Nations has called upon the United States and Iran to resume negotiations toward a lasting settlement, emphasizing that military force cannot resolve the conflict triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
The appeal came as a 60-day window tied to an earlier interim understanding expired, casting uncertainty over the future of the Pakistan-mediated Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. The deadline fell on Monday amid lingering U.S.-Iran tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump has demanded Iran’s total capitulation, saying Tehran should “raise the white flag.” Iran, however, has maintained its hardline stance on retaining full control of the strategic waterway.
UN Message Remains Unchanged
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that Secretary-General António Guterres has held a consistent position since the fighting began. “His message is the same, which he’s been delivering since the start, which is there is no military solution to this conflict,” Dujarric said.
“He urges the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States to resume negotiations towards a peaceful and durable settlement as soon as possible, to avoid military action and … to lower the rhetoric that we’ve been hearing in recent days.”
The statement reflected ongoing UN concern over prolonged shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the broader regional fallout from nearly six months of hostilities.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the 60-day deadline for talks with the U.S. following the June 17 memorandum had “lost its relevance” after what he called “flagrant” violations by Washington.
Iranian Official Sets Short Timeline for U.S. Compliance
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran will escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond—and is prepared to launch a military operation—if the United States does not fully implement the interim peace deal within weeks. The official said Iran would carry out a “timely and precise” attack aimed at breaking the U.S. naval blockade of the Islamic Republic.
“Within the short period of a few weeks set by Iran, all the agreement’s provisions must be implemented by the U.S. This is a precondition for further negotiations,” the official stated. Mediators are expected to convey the details of Tehran’s deadline to Washington and regional governments. Iranian entities, the official added, must be ready to escalate in the strait and the wider region as Tehran prepares to act on difficult decisions.
Iran Makes Maximalist Demands, Complicating Efforts to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
The same official described a shift in Iranian policy from defense to offense, citing eroded confidence in diplomacy with Washington. “It is a proven fact that the U.S. is not serious about a ceasefire and won’t commit to any, so putting pressure on the enemy or relying on mediators in the hope of reaching a permanent ceasefire is not realistic,” the official told Reuters.
Will the Islamabad MoU Stay Relevant?
The United States and Iran on Monday missed the 60-day deadline to reach a deal curbing Iran’s nuclear program under the Pakistan-mediated ceasefire agreement signed in June.
The 14-point memorandum, known as the Islamabad Memorandum, was signed remotely on June 17 by President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following diplomatic talks.
Trump had announced the MoU with great fanfare two months ago, but it neither reopened the Strait of Hormuz—which Iran effectively blockaded after the late-February attacks—nor ended a conflict now entering its sixth month, The Times reported. Both Trump and Iran’s leaders have since indicated that the deal has collapsed.
Whether Washington and Tehran will revive or build on the MoU—or pursue an entirely new agreement—remains uncertain.
Despite the formal expiration, Rashid Al-Mohannadi, vice president at the Centre for International Policy Research, told Al Jazeera that the document still offers a foundation for further talks. “I wouldn’t say that the MoU doesn’t matter; it is still the basis for continuing discussions and it does offer some terms that initially were mutually agreeable between both parties,” Al-Mohannadi said.
He pointed to internal Iranian divisions over the Strait of Hormuz as a complicating factor, with positions ranging from an extreme view of full sovereignty and control to a middle ground accepting regional consensus, to softer approaches treating the strait primarily as a bargaining chip.
Iftikhar Ali is a veteran Pakistani journalist, former president of UN Correspondents Association, and a recipient of the Pride of Performance civil award
