Tehran: In a big statement, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he supports dialogue with the United States but will follow the stance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei. Pezeshkian further added that the right ways must be found to solve problems. Following President Pezeshkian’s statement, hopes for negotiations between Washington and Tehran regarding Iran’s nuclear program have dimmed. Iran’s state news agency, IRNA reported that while attending a parliamentary session on Sunday, Pezeshkian said, “I believed that negotiations would be better, but the Leader of the Revolution said that we will not negotiate with the United States, so I also said that we will not negotiate.”
The Iranian President said, “However, we must find appropriate ways to solve the problems.” He reiterated that he would remain a supporter of dialogue but would follow the Supreme Leader’s views. Paizashkian said, “I may hold a belief, but when the Supreme Leader sets a direction, we must align ourselves accordingly and find the right path within that framework.”
During a speech on February 7, Ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran is ready to engage in dialogue with all countries. He stated, “The only exception is the United States. Of course, we do not consider the Israeli regime an exception—because that regime has never been a legitimate government from the beginning but rather a criminal and land-grabbing gang.”
Khamenei added, “Some people pretend that if we sit at the negotiation table, certain problems will be resolved. But the reality is that we must clearly understand that negotiating with the U.S. has no impact on solving the country’s problems.”
A few days later, President Pejeshkian reiterated Khamenei’s stance, stating that the United States has no intention of engaging in talks with Iran and instead wants Iran to submit to its will.
In 2015, Iran signed a nuclear agreement with world powers, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The JCPOA is also referred to as the Iran Nuclear Deal or the Iran Deal. Under this agreement, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and other provisions.
