Iran warns of potential “war” with the United States and reaffirms not seeking nuclear weapons. President Pezeshkian hopes for peace but says he is ready to react to any attack, as nuclear talks resume in Europe.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian warned Donald Trump of the risk of “guerre” against the Islamic Republic, reaffirming that Iran “wasn’t looking” to acquire nuclear weapons, in an interview Tuesday on American television.
“I hope that (President-elect Donald) Trump will lead to regional and global peace and not, on the contrary, contribute to bloodshed or war”declared the new reformist president of Iran, in an interview carried out in his country by the NBC News channel, less than a week before the inauguration of the 47th American president.
Washington and Tehran have not had diplomatic relations for 45 years and Donald Trump repeatedly suggested during his campaign that Israel could strike Iranian nuclear facilities.
“We will react to any action. We do not fear war, but we do not seek it”replied President Pezeshkian, through a translator, when asked about the prospect of Israeli military strikes, with the agreement of the United States, against nuclear sites in his country.
At the same time, his head of diplomacy, Abbas Araghchi, expressed Tuesday a desire “serious” of Germany, France and the United Kingdom to resume negotiations on this nuclear program, following talks in Geneva.
Tensions around Iranian civilian nuclear power — the great powers have suspected Tehran of having military objectives for two decades — have only been reignited since President Trump in 2018 withdrew from a 2015 international agreement .
This text, signed by the United States under the presidency of Barack Obama, China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for a limitation of its nuclear ambitions.
And since Washington’s withdrawal, Iran has reneged on its commitments to enrichment and control of its nuclear program.
“Everything we have done so far has been peaceful. We are not looking to create a nuclear weapon. But they accuse us of trying to make a bomb.” atomic, defended the Iranian president.
Asked by NBC News about the possibility of “direct and open negotiations with President Trump”the Iranian leader was skeptical.
“The problem is not the dialogue. The problem is the commitments that come from discussions and this dialogue”he replied, deploring that “the other party has not kept its promises or respected its obligations”.
Iran Massoud Pezeshkian United States
