Pezeshkian: Iran not opposed to talks but won’t give in to ‘bullies’
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says the Islamic Republic is open to negotiations, it will not yield to the pressure of bullying powers.
President Masoud Pezeshkian says Iran is not opposed to negotiations, but will not give in to “bullies,” while reiterating that the Islamic Republic seeks peace and tranquility in the West Asia region.
The president made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with directors of government bodies in the southwestern cities of Tehran Province.
He referred to comments made by some Iranian officials after U.S. President Donald Trump restored his “maximum pressure campaign” on the Islamic Republic early this month, just two weeks after he began his second term in office.
Despite reinstating the policy, which Trump first adopted in 2018 after withdrawing the U.S. from a landmark deal on Iran’s nuclear program, he also announced his readiness to negotiate an agreement with Tehran.
“We should not be afraid of sanctions,” President Pezeshkian said in reference to the Trump administration’s “pressure campaign” that aims to stop Iran’s oil sales, among other sanctions.
“Some say there is no alternative but to negotiate with them [the United States.] We did not say we would not negotiate, but we are not due to give in to bullies,” Pezeshkian further said.
He added that Iran would not hold talks with “those who bury women and children under their bombings while claiming to respect human rights, and they tell us that we should not have missiles and weapons so that they can bomb us whenever they want, leaving us unable to defend ourselves.”
President Pezeshkian also noted that Iran “does not seek quarrels”, but intends to “live in peace and tranquility” alongside other Muslim countries in the region.
Iran has not created tensions in the region, he said, emphasizing that the tensions have been created by Israel that “conducts aggression on everywhere and is not afraid of anybody due to the U.S. support.”
Pezeshkian made similar comments as he addressed industrialists, entrepreneurs and economic players of the southwestern cities of Tehran Province the same day.
He said that Iran’s adversaries are making attempts to create problems for the country’s production sector, promising that his administration will do utmost efforts to prevent the enemies from achieving their goal.
“We know that we are in an all-out economic war… We will do whatever we can to support the industry sector and entrepreneurs. The enemy tries to create problems for the country’s production cycle. We will not allow this to happen,” said Pezeshkian.
