Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed on Thursday that his government is open to negotiating with the United States to end the ongoing conflict before the American midterm elections in November. Speaking during a brief meeting with NBC News and other media outlets at the United Nations General Assembly, Pezeshkian said, “We don’t want it to get to the midterm elections,” and added that he hopes the U.S. will return to a previously signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), which outlined a temporary ceasefire. The agreement, signed in June, eventually collapsed. In response to Pezeshkian’s remarks, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly criticized the Iranian government, stating it has “murdered thousands of its own people, killed Americans overseas, executed acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, and launched indiscriminate attacks against its neighbors.” Kelly also praised the U.S. president for working to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, which she said would enhance global stability. Pezeshkian’s comments came two days after former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is currently running for president again, said in a U.N. speech that he believed Iran would not reach a deal until after the November elections. Trump suggested that the Iranian government is waiting to see how he performs in the midterms before entering negotiations. Recent polls show that a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the conflict with Iran, with 69% expressing disapproval in the latest NBC News Decision Desk Poll. The conflict has had significant global repercussions, including Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil trade, which caused economic disruptions. Pezeshkian also addressed other issues, saying Iran is open to inspections of its nuclear facilities and denying that the government seeks to assassinate U.S. officials. He reiterated that Iran has never aimed to harm President Trump or his family. The U.S. Justice Department previously charged an Iranian man in a plot to kill Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign, citing Iran’s desire for revenge over the killing of a top Iranian general by a U.S. drone strike in 2020.