Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Monday that his country is open to striking a deal with the United States—provided that Iran’s core interests are safeguarded.
“We are ready for an agreement within a defined framework and while ensuring our national interests,” Pezeshkian said during a gathering in Tehran, according to a report from the Xinhua news agency.
He warned, however, that Iran would not accept any deal in which it was treated unfairly. “If they (US representatives) refrain from negotiating with us on equal terms, we will continue on our own path.”
Pezeshkian echoed the cautious tone often voiced by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, clarifying that Iran approaches the negotiations without bias. He remarked that the country is “neither optimistic nor pessimistic” about the outcome.
Reinforcing Iran’s firm posture, he added that the Islamic Republic is not looking to provoke any confrontations but will push back against any threats. “We do not want confrontation with anyone, but we will not tolerate pressure or bullying,” he said.
The Iranian president’s remarks came after the latest round of indirect negotiations with American officials, which took place Saturday in Rome, following earlier talks in Oman.
Officials involved have described both meetings as “constructive.”
President Donald Trump has said that while he would prefer to resolve the nuclear issue through diplomacy, he has not dismissed the possibility of using military force if needed.
“With Iran, if it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will be the leader of that. But nobody leads us, we do what we want to do,” Trump told reporters from the Oval Office two weeks ago.
When asked about a timeline for reaching an agreement with Iran, Trump responded, “I can’t really be specific, but when you start talks, you know if they’re going along well or not, and I would say the conclusion would be when I think they’re not going along well.”
In earlier comments, the President issued a stark warning to Tehran: “if they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing — and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
{Matzav.com}