Iran president defends US pact as West Bank attacks persist

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly defended the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States, calling it the most viable route out of the current stalemate. In remarks carried by state media on Sunday, he said the agreement, endorsed by the Supreme National Security Council, aligns with the nation's dignity and interests. He insisted that no clause in the document amounts to capitulation and reiterated that the supreme leader sets policy, which the government will follow.

The memorandum, signed by US President Donald Trump in June, set an ambitious 60-day deadline to end hostilities and reach a nuclear accord. That period has lapsed without a breakthrough, with the two sides still at odds over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil shipments. Pezeshkian linked the agreement to Iran's economic recovery, noting that uncertainty is deterring investment. "Capital and money are extremely sensitive to risk," he said, adding that the risk must be removed from the country.

Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, the newly appointed head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, struck a more confrontational tone. In an interview aired Saturday, he warned that Tehran would retaliate "in a seismic manner" if neighboring countries support new US efforts to intensify sanctions. He said Iran would target alternative oil-shipping routes in the Persian Gulf and treat any nation joining the economic war as an enemy, vowing to strike their interests. The remarks come as Washington has pledged an unprecedented level of economic pressure against Tehran.

In the occupied West Bank, violence continues. A 61-year-old Palestinian man, Saeed Muhammad Ibrahim Rabah, said an Israeli settler struck him with a pipe outside his home in Khirbet al-Rakeez on Saturday. Rabah, who lost a leg after being shot by a settler last year, said the attack was an attempt to force his family off their land. In a separate incident, Israeli forces said they were pursuing a suspect in a stabbing that wounded a 24-year-old near Jericho. Palestinian officials report at least 87 Palestinians have been killed in nearly 1,500 attacks by settlers and soldiers this year, while three Israelis have been killed by Palestinians.