Iran’s Pezeshkian: Trust in US Talks Broken After War Escalation

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Saturday that Tehran has lost all confidence in negotiations with the United States, citing a pattern of broken agreements followed by sanctions and military strikes. The remarks came as Iran awaits a response from Washington regarding a new proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran.

Speaking to Al Jazeera during a visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Pezeshkian emphasized the deep-seated skepticism within Iran’s leadership. “We have no trust in the American side and do not know on what basis an understanding can be reached with it,” he said.

The President and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently proposed a seven-day roadmap to ceasefire. According to Araghchi, the initial steps would unfold over the first four to five days, with the Strait of Hormuz reopening on day six. By day seven, direct talks between Iran and the US would begin to address mutually agreed-upon subjects, including Iran’s nuclear program.

Under the plan, the US would lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waive sanctions on Iranian oil exports, release approximately $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, and observe a regional ceasefire that includes Lebanon and Yemen. In return, Iran would restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which a fifth of global oil and gas trade previously flowed before the conflict began.

Pezeshkian confirmed that Qatar and Pakistan are serving as intermediaries to convey Iran’s messages to the US. He noted that the negotiations are grounded in a memorandum of understanding reached between the two nations in June, which expired last month, and urged Washington to clarify its stance on that prior agreement.

The current hostilities began in late February following coordinated US and Israeli attacks on Iran, which resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian defended Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a “natural response” to being cut off from sea routes, insisting the closure is not the cause of the crisis but a consequence of US aggression.

Describing the US as the primary aggressor, Pezeshkian highlighted that Iran has not attacked any country in two centuries. He accused Washington and Jerusalem of dragging regional powers into the war under the false belief that the Iranian system would collapse quickly. “We withstood the American and Israeli attacks, and we will continue to stand firm,” he asserted, adding that neither the loss of a military commander nor economic pressure has deterred the Iranian populace.

The President also drew parallels between the sanctions imposed on Iran and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. “Those who deny Iranians medicine and raw materials are the same people who cut off food and water from Gaza,” he said, warning that any nation betting on sanctions to weaken Iran has “miscalculated.”

Addressing regional security, Pezeshkian rejected the notion of a foreign “regional policeman,” arguing that security should be achieved through cooperation among regional nations. He called on Saudi Arabia to help unite the Islamic world and urged both Riyadh and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen to resolve their differences through dialogue rather than conflict. He clarified that Tehran views itself as a supporter of those subjected to injustice, but the actions of the Houthis are not directly connected to Iran.

On the domestic front, Pezeshkian insisted that Iran is experiencing “unprecedented unity and cohesion,” despite efforts by enemies to sow discord among officials. He revealed that he has held multiple meetings with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, including a seven-hour session covering critical issues, since the war began. He pledged to address internal economic imbalances and invest in Iran’s self-reliance, defying US and Israeli goals to isolate the country.