Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Friday that while Iran seeks peace, it will not be coerced into giving up its nuclear and missile programs, Reuters reported, citing Iranian state media.
“We are willing to hold talks under international frameworks, but not if they say you can’t have a (nuclear) science, or the right to defend yourself (with missiles) or else we will bomb you,” Pezeshkian said.
His remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump stated that Iran had been asking whether American sanctions could be lifted.
Iran has consistently rejected negotiations over its missile program and refuses to halt uranium enrichment on its soil.
“We want to live in this world in peace and security, but not be humiliated, and it is not acceptable that they impose upon us whatever they want and we just serve them,” Pezeshkian added. “They supply arms to Israel while they tell us not to have missiles for defence, then they bomb us whenever they want.”
Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks prior to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, during which the US joined the fighting by striking key Iranian nuclear sites.
Negotiations have since stalled over uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, a central sticking point. In addition, Iran is livid after the reactivation of the “snapback” sanctions mechanism. The sanctions, reimposed in September, followed failed negotiations between Iran and the E3 countries – Britain, France, and Germany – who triggered the “snapback” mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal.
Pezeshkian declared earlier this week that Tehran would rebuild its nuclear sites “stronger than before,” following the Israeli and American strikes that targeted key facilities.
“By destroying buildings… we will not be set back,” Pezeshkian said in a video posted to his official website, adding that Iranian scientists still possess the necessary nuclear expertise.
Later, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made clear that cooperation between Tehran and Washington is impossible so long as the United States continues to support Israel, maintain military bases, and interfere in the region.
“The Americans sometimes say they would like to cooperate with Iran. Cooperation with Iran is not possible as long as the US continues to support the accursed Zionist regime, maintains military bases, and interferes in the region,” Khamenei said.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News’ North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
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