Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country is open to reaching an agreement with the United States in ongoing indirect talks, provided that the country’s national interests are preserved.
Pezeshkian stated this during a meeting in Tehran, saying that in the negotiations with the United States, Iran is ready for an agreement within a defined framework, while ensuring its national interests.
“However, if U.S. representatives refrain from negotiating with us on equal terms, we will continue on our own path,” he said.
According to him, as previously stated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran remains neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the negotiations.
“Tehran does not seek conflict but would resist any attempt at coercion. We do not want confrontation with anyone, but we will not tolerate pressure or bullying,”; he stated.
The Iranian president’s comments followed the second round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States, held in Rome on Saturday with mediation from Oman.
The first round took place in Muscat on April 12, and a third session is scheduled for the Omani capital again on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, at a weekly news conference in Tehran, said the removal of US sanctions remained Iran’s principal demand in the negotiations.
US President Donald Trump described the recent talks as “very good”.
“We had very good meetings actually in Iran. The next step is we need a little time,” Trump added.
The discussions came amid a letter sent by Trump to Iran’s leadership in early March, proposing talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
