Iran Signals Readiness for US Deal Before November Elections

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed Tehran's readiness to reach an agreement with the United States to end the war before the US midterm elections in November, urging Washington to return to the memorandum of understanding reached in June. Pezeshkian said Iran does not want the war to continue until the US elections, adding that Washington must choose whether to end the conflict. The June memorandum included arrangements for a temporary ceasefire but later collapsed. His remarks came after President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly he believed Tehran might wait until after the elections to strike a deal. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly reiterated the administration's goal of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, accusing Tehran of killing Americans and committing "terrorist acts." Pezeshkian also said his government is open to inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities and denied any Iranian government role in alleged plots to assassinate Trump.