Iran has expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with the United States, but emphasized that such talks must occur on equal terms and without coercion. President Masoud Pezeshkian made the remarks on Saturday, while refraining from confirming whether Tehran would agree to direct negotiations.
This response came shortly after US President Donald Trump called for direct talks with Iran regarding its nuclear programme and warned of military action if diplomacy failed.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran wants dialogue on an equal footing,” Pezeshkian stated during a meeting, according to the presidential office. He questioned the sincerity of the US approach, asking, “If you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?”
Trump had recently stated that direct talks would be more efficient and allow better mutual understanding. However, Iran has firmly rejected negotiations under pressure or threats.
Pezeshkian criticized the US stance, saying, “America is not only humiliating Iran, but also the world,” referring to recent US policies, including the imposition of tariffs.
Western nations, led by the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies these allegations and insists its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful purposes.
Hossein Salami, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, declared on Saturday that Iran is fully prepared for war. “We are not afraid of war. We will never start one, but we are ready for any confrontation,” he said, as quoted by the state news agency.
In 2015, Iran reached a nuclear agreement with six world powers—the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany—offering sanctions relief in return for limits on its nuclear activities.
However, in 2018, during Trump’s first term, the US withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions. Iran responded by scaling back its commitments under the deal and accelerating its nuclear programme.
Earlier this week, Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that while Iran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons, it may be compelled to do so if it faces a military attack.
