Iran Signals Openness to US Deal While Warning Against Pressure
By The Media Line Staff
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that Tehran is open to a nuclear agreement with the United States, provided the country’s national interests are respected. His comments follow a renewed round of indirect talks between the two countries, held with Omani mediation. The second session took place in Rome on April 19, following earlier discussions in Muscat, with a third round set for April 26 back in Oman.
“We are ready for an agreement within a defined framework and while ensuring our national interests,” Pezeshkian said during a meeting with provincial governors in Tehran, adding that if the US chooses not to negotiate “on equal terms,” Iran will continue on its own path.
He reiterated that Iran seeks no confrontation but would push back against any coercion. “We do not want confrontation with anyone, but we will not tolerate pressure or bullying,” he said.
Pezeshkian’s remarks echoed those of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has said the country remains “neither optimistic nor pessimistic” about talks. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has confirmed that lifting US sanctions remains Tehran’s top demand.
US President Donald Trump described the recent talks as “very good” but warned that if negotiations stall, military action remains an option. He has also suggested Israel would take a lead role in any military response, while asserting that “nobody leads us.”
The negotiations aim to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which the US exited in 2018, triggering renewed sanctions and a breakdown in compliance from Iran.
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