Pezeshkian says Iran is ready for talks, but rejects coercion and bullying
Pezeshkian says Iran is ready for talks, but rejects coercion and bullying
M.U.H
26/09/202613
Tehran: President Masoud Pezeshkian says Iran engages in dialogue to resolve issues but will never accept bullying or the use of force, and will never allow anyone to force it into submission.
The president made the remarks in an exclusive interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” aired late on Friday. Pezeshkian elaborated on Iran’s stance on domestic issues as well as regional and international developments during the interview conducted in New York City, where he addressed the 81st session of the UN General Assembly earlier in the week.
On Iran’s nuclear program and inspection of its sites in return for sanctions relief, Pezeshkian said that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons. He said that the US and Israel assassinated the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, whose religious decree bans the development of nuclear weapons.
Pezeshkian also said that Iran was in the middle of negotiations and had reached an agreement with the US when it was attacked. “America’s intention is not to resolve the issue. America’s intention is to overthrow our administration. Israel says in their own speech, what they’re doing is neutralizing the government, not negotiating,” he said, according to a transcript shared on the CBS News website.
“We are doing everything humanly possible, but not through bullying and coercion intended to force us into submission. We’re already negotiating. Why are they concurrently attacking us?” Pezeshkian said, according to the same transcript.
On Iran’s seven-day plan to re-open the Strait of Hormuz – a proposal conveyed to the US by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi through mediator Qatar on the sidelines of the UNGA – President Pezeshkian said that the implementation of the plan will begin as soon as the US accepts the plan.
Pezeshkian said that the seven-day plan pursues the same goals as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which Iran and the US signed in mid-June.
According to the president, there is deep distrust between Tehran and Washington, which stems from the latter’s actions. He said that the US tore apart the 2015 nuclear deal and twice attacked Iran, in 2025 and 2026, when the two sides were in the midst of negotiations, and then breached the memorandum.
“Basically, we need to determine now what exactly we want to reach an understanding on. If we don't abide by what we have written down as necessary, can we really resolve it through dialogue?” said Pezeshkian, as quoted by CBS News.
“The first thing that needs to happen is that the distrust created by this war has to be overcome. We need to abide by what we have written down. The United States needs to show that it does not intend to overthrow our government or our administration,” he added.
Asked whether Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei had advised Pezeshkian to pursue diplomacy, the president said all discussions and decisions had been coordinated.
Pezeshkian said a six-member team had been formed in Iran, comprising representatives from the military, parliament, administration and other institutions. The team has the authority to make decisions and implement them in coordination, he added.
Asked why he came to New York despite the risks, Pezeshkian rejected claims that Iranian officials had been hiding in shelters during the war. He said he remained active, visiting several ministries each day and holding meetings with ministers.
On sanctions and economic pressure, Pezeshkian said that the US is blocking access to food and medicine, adding that such measures target ordinary people, including patients, the elderly and the poor. He described US and Israeli actions as genocide.
