By Parisa Hafezi
(SofTech) -Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that his country wouldn’t engage in talks with the U.S. under duress, according to Iranian state media reports on Tuesday. He advised President Donald Trump to “go ahead and do what you please.”
“The idea of them (the U.S.) giving orders and issuing threats is intolerable to us. I wouldn’t bother negotiating with you at all. Go ahead and do whatever the heck you please,” state media cited Pezeshkian as stating.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Saturday that Tehran would not yield to pressure tactics to enter discussions, following President Trump’s remarks from the previous day when he mentioned sending a letter encouraging Iran to participate in talks about a revised nuclear agreement.
Even though Trump indicates a willingness to negotiate with Tehran, he has resumed the stringent sanctions regime known as the “maximum pressure” strategy used during his initial term. This approach aims at isolating Iran economically on an international scale and drastically reducing its oil exports close to zero.
During an appearance on Fox Business, Trump stated the previous week, “Iran can be dealt with through two means: military action or by making a deal,” aiming to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear arms.
Iran has consistently maintained that it does not seek to build a nuclear weapon. Nevertheless, the IAEA has cautioned that Iran is “significantly” increasing its production of enriched uranium to a purity level as high as 60%, which is nearing the approximately 90% threshold considered suitable for weaponry.
Since 2019, Iran has ramped up its nuclear activities. This was following President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran and reinstate sanctions that have severely damaged the nation’s economy.
(Additional reporting by Jaidaa Ahmad Writing and reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Edited by Hugh Lawson)
