TEHRAN, May 18 (ANI): Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday defended Tehran’s decision to continue negotiations with the United States, saying dialogue conducted “with dignity” is necessary while emphasizing that Iran will continue protecting its national interests.
According to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), Pezeshkian made the remarks during a public relations gathering of executive agencies titled “Iranian Narrators.”
“It is not logical to say that we will not negotiate,” Pezeshkian said.
“They chant that we shouldn’t engage in dialogue — what should we do if we don’t talk? Fight until the bitter end? It’s not logical to say we won’t engage in dialogue; we engage in dialogue with dignity,” he added.
Pezeshkian said Iran is capable of defending its national interests while pursuing diplomatic engagement.
“We are capable of defending the nation’s rights with the backing of the people. We must speak logically and receive logical responses,” he said.
The Iranian president also stressed the importance of national unity amid growing regional tensions.
“We must try not to break the unity and cohesion in the country. What can we do if they are shouting, ‘Let’s not talk,’ if we don’t talk? Should we fight until the end? We will talk with dignity,” he said.
Pezeshkian accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to destabilize the country and criticized international reactions to recent regional conflicts.
“They wanted to overthrow the Islamic Republic system in three days, but today they plotted to move forward by sowing division,” he said.
Referring to the conflict in Gaza, Pezeshkian added, “We saw what crimes they committed in Gaza and Palestine, and the American media constantly justify that they are defending themselves.”
Reaffirming his administration’s diplomatic approach, the president said Iran would continue negotiations while safeguarding national interests.
“We are respectful towards foreigners, we negotiate, and we will defend the rights of the nation,” Pezeshkian said.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran as negotiations remained stalled over uranium stockpiles, sanctions relief, and war compensation following months of conflict across West Asia.
“For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Trump wrote Sunday in a post on Truth Social.
Trump’s remarks came hours after Iranian media reports outlined Washington’s key conditions for restarting negotiations.
According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the United States is demanding that Iran surrender 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, maintain only one active nuclear facility, abandon demands for war compensation, accept that most frozen Iranian assets will remain blocked, and end military operations only after negotiations are completed.
In response, Tehran reportedly laid out five conditions for returning to negotiations.
According to Iranian media reports, Iran said it would resume talks only if military operations across the region, particularly in Lebanon, are halted, sanctions on Iran are lifted, and frozen overseas Iranian assets are released.
Iran also demanded compensation for war-related damages and recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. (ANI)
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