Iran President Pezeshkian Says US Must Decide on War
- Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian stated on Thursday that it is up to the United States to decide whether to stop the ongoing conflict, emphasizing during an interview with...
- The Iranian leader's remarks follow an announcement by Donald Trump that bilateral discussions took place in New York between Iranian and American officials during the international diplomatic summit.
- Hostilities escalated after the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran in February.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian stated on Thursday that it is up to the United States to decide whether to stop the ongoing conflict, emphasizing during an interview with Fox News in New York that Tehran never declared war. Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Pezeshkian maintained that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek war but remains resolved to defend itself, according to reporting from Agence France-Presse and La Presse.
Diplomatic Contacts and Stalled Agreements
The Iranian leader’s remarks follow an announcement by Donald Trump that bilateral discussions took place in New York between Iranian and American officials during the international diplomatic summit. Pezeshkian pointed to an agreement of principle reached between Washington and Tehran in June, stating that the accord had been signed and that Iran remains willing to move forward on that basis.
Addressing assertions by President Trump that Iranian officials might be waiting for the upcoming United States mid-term elections before concluding an agreement, Pezeshkian dismissed the electoral calendar entirely, telling the network that Tehran does not take those elections into account.
Nous n’avons jamais déclenché de guerre, mais s’ils souhaitent continuer à se battre contre nous, nous répondrons avec force, avec détermination,
Pezeshkian said, as reported by Agence France-Presse, while criticizing pressures intended to force a capitulation outside of international law.
Regional Conflict and Nuclear Stance
Hostilities escalated after the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran in February. In retaliation for the military offensive, Iran blocked the strategic Strait of Ormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint through which a significant portion of global petroleum supplies flows.
On the contentious issue of nuclear enrichment, Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran has no intention of acquiring an atomic weapon. Western allies, including the United States and Israel, suspect Tehran of wanting to arm itself with a nuclear weapon—suspicions that served as the justification for the military offensive.
Despite possessing stockpiles of uranium enriched to 20 percent and 60 percent—levels well beyond the useful threshold for civilian use—Pezeshkian answered Non, pas du tout
when directly questioned by the interviewer about whether the nation wants to possess an atomic weapon.
During the same interview, Pezeshkian also noted that he met with Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for approximately seven hours about a month prior, confirming that the supreme leader is in good health.