US Iran War: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran does not want the war with the United States to continue, putting the responsibility for ending the conflict squarely on Washington.
In an interview with Fox News aired Thursday, Pezeshkian said Iran remains open to diplomacy and an agreement with US President Donald Trump, while accusing Washington and Israel of having forced the conflict on Tehran. His comments came after his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he maintained that Iran would continue to defend itself.
US Must Make Choice
Pezeshkian said Iran would prefer resolving disputes through negotiations rather than continued military confrontation. He said, “When we can resolve issues through dialogue, we shouldn’t resort to killing one another. But with the instigations conducted by Israel, they have imposed this war on us.”
He then made clear that Tehran was not seeking a continuation of hostilities.
“But we do not wish to continue. It’s America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not,” he said.
The comments came as Washington and Tehran remain divided over how to end the conflict, even as both sides have continued to signal an interest in diplomacy. Reuters reported that Pezeshkian was responding to a question about whether the war could end by the close of the year when he said the decision was ultimately up to the United States.
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Iran Wants Deal
Pezeshkian also pointed to an earlier agreement with Trump as evidence that Tehran remains willing to negotiate.
“Why is it that within two weeks after the signing of an agreement, they chose to blow it up?” he asked, referring to the breakdown of the previous ceasefire.
He added: “If the current American government, within international legal frameworks, wishes to reach an agreement, fine. If not, before the (US midterm) elections or after the elections, what difference does it make for us?”
The Iranian president rejected the suggestion that Tehran was waiting for the US midterm elections before making a move. Instead, he accused Washington of seeking to destabilise Iran and weaken its government.
“Trump kept saying, ‘I want to bring a gift to the people of Iran,” he said. “But the gift that they brought us were guided missiles, heavy weapons and destruction.”
Pezeshkian alleged that the US was attempting to create conditions that could “pave the way for the downfall” of Iran’s political system.
Nuclear Claims Repeated
The Iranian president also addressed the long-running dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme, insisting that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons.
Pezeshkian referred to a religious ruling attributed to Iran’s late Supreme Leader while rejecting the idea that Tehran intends to build such weapons.
“Our martyred, esteemed supreme leader had announced several times that, from a religious decree, it is unholy. It is illegal.”
In the Fox News interview, Pezeshkian also indicated that Iran could accept international verification of its nuclear programme and said Tehran was willing to dilute its enriched uranium as part of a possible agreement.
‘Still Wish To Move Forward’
Pezeshkian returned repeatedly to the issue of diplomacy, referring to a memorandum of understanding reached with Trump before the latest escalation.
“We did reach an agreement with your president,” he said. “That agreement was signed, and based on that, we are willing and still wish to move forward.”
His comments followed his appearance at the UN General Assembly, where he adopted a defiant position on the conflict and said Iran would not surrender. At the same time, his Fox News interview highlighted Tehran’s stated willingness to return to negotiations if Washington agrees to a framework that Iran considers acceptable.
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