Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that it is up to the United States to choose whether to end the war between the two countries. In a US television interview aired on Thursday, Pezeshkian said Tehran does not wish to continue fighting. He made these comments during an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, where he took a defiant stand against the US.
Pezeshkian's comments come after his appearance at the UN General Assembly in New York, where he told the world that Iran would not "bend at the knee" to Washington. Despite this, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that ongoing talks were taking place between the US and Iran. Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran was willing to engage in dialogue to resolve issues.
According to Pezeshkian, Iran is ready to strike a deal with Trump to end the conflict. He questioned why the US had chosen to blow up a shaky ceasefire just two weeks after it was signed. Pezeshkian stated that if the US government wished to reach an agreement within international legal frameworks, then "fine," but if not, it made no difference to Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. However, their talks did not immediately yield a breakthrough. The meeting was seen as an opportunity for both sides to discuss potential ways to ease tensions.
The conflict between Iran and the US is closely tied to the situation in Yemen, where the Houthi militant movement is battling Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies. The US and its allies accuse Iran of backing the Houthis, but Pezeshkian insisted that the Houthis do not take direction from Tehran's government. He stated that Iran has contacts with the Houthis but there is no systematic relationship.
The Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, hitting its tankers and territory and seizing swathes of Yemen's Red Sea coast. This has caused energy prices to jump and has cemented the hold of Iran and its allies on the two waterways that the wider Gulf relies on to ship out its oil and other fuel products.
Saudi Arabia intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles on Thursday after issuing warnings for several regions, including Mecca. The situation remains volatile, with the US and Iran yet to reach a breakthrough in their talks. Pezeshkian's comments have set the stage for further negotiations, but a resolution to the conflict remains uncertain.
Key points
- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian says the US must choose to end the war between the two countries.
- Pezeshkian insists Iran is ready to strike a deal with Trump to end the conflict.
- The conflict between Iran and the US is closely tied to the situation in Yemen, where the Houthi militant movement is battling Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies.
