Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the United States must decide whether it wants to bring the ongoing war with Iran to an end, insisting that Tehran does not want the conflict to continue.
Pezeshkian made the comments in an interview with Fox News that aired on Thursday, a day after he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. (Reuters)
The Iranian president said diplomatic solutions should be pursued instead of continued fighting, while blaming Israel for what he described as the circumstances that led to the conflict.
“When we can resolve issues through dialog, we shouldn’t resort to killing one another. But with the instigations conducted by Israel, they have imposed this war on us,” Pezeshkian said.
“But we do not wish to continue. It’s America that must choose whether it wants to end this or not,” he added.
Pezeshkian says Iran remains open to a deal
Pezeshkian also said Iran was prepared to reach an agreement with US President Donald Trump to end the conflict.
He questioned why a previous agreement had broken down shortly after it was reached, saying Tehran remained willing to return to negotiations within an international legal framework.
“If the current American government, within international legal frameworks, wishes to reach an agreement, fine,” he said.
The comments came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held discussions with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The talks did not immediately produce a breakthrough. (Reuters)
Pezeshkian also said Iran was not concerned about whether an agreement was reached before or after the US midterm elections.
Iran rejects directing Houthi actions
The Iranian president also addressed the conflict involving Yemen’s Houthi movement, which Washington and its regional allies accuse Tehran of supporting.
Pezeshkian rejected the suggestion that the Houthis take instructions from the Iranian government.
“The Houthis are responsible for their own actions. They don’t take directions from us,” he said, while acknowledging that Iran has contacts with the group.
“We have contacts with them. There is no systematic relationship,” he added.
The comments came amid continuing violence involving the Houthis and Saudi Arabia and its allies, with missile attacks and fighting adding to wider regional tensions.
Pezeshkian’s remarks come as diplomatic efforts continue around the US-Iran conflict, with both sides publicly discussing the possibility of negotiations while remaining divided over the conditions for ending hostilities. (Al Jazeera)
Source: AFP
