Iran President Says Talks with US Are ‘Meaningless’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that negotiations with the United States are
“meaningless,” arguing that talks have repeatedly been followed by renewed attacks and that
Washington is not seeking genuine dialogue.
Speaking in Tehran during a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Pezeshkian was
quoted by the state news agency IRNA as saying: “So far, they have attacked us three times after talks,
and this shows that they are not seeking dialogue; rather, their goal is to overthrow the Islamic Republic
of Iran.”
“With an enemy that every day resorts to assassination, sanctions, pressure and threats, and that breaks
its commitments, negotiations are meaningless,” he added.
Pezeshkian further stated that the core problem in relations with the US is that “whenever we sit down
for talks, we end up facing war right away.”
The remarks come amid a prolonged impasse in efforts to end the Middle East conflict that began in late
February when the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran.
The two sides had reached a memorandum of understanding in June outlining a framework for a
permanent resolution, but the agreement collapsed largely over disagreements concerning the Strait of
Hormuz.
Iran has sought to control the vital shipping lane and has targeted vessels attempting to transit without
its authorisation.
Recent indirect talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York failed to
produce a breakthrough.
Tehran had presented a set of conditions, including measures related to the strait, but these were
rejected by US President Donald Trump.
Washington has in recent weeks reduced military operations in favour of economic pressure and has not
conducted strikes on Iran since early September.
Pezeshkian’s comments underscore Tehran’s deepening distrust of diplomatic engagement under the
current circumstances and signal that meaningful progress toward ending the conflict remains distant.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
