According to Iranian state media reports on Tuesday, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran stated that the country will not engage in negotiations with the U.S. while facing threats. In response to President Donald Trump, Pezeshkian was quoted as saying, “It is unacceptable for us to be given orders and threatened. I refuse to negotiate with you. Do as you please.” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also emphasized Iran’s stance against being coerced into talks, following Trump’s call for discussions on a new nuclear agreement. Despite expressing a willingness to negotiate with Tehran, Trump has reinstated the “maximum pressure” strategy to isolate Iran economically and reduce its oil exports. In an interview, Trump proposed two approaches for dealing with Iran: military action or reaching a diplomatic agreement to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons but has accelerated its uranium enrichment activities, raising concerns about its nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has cautioned that Iran’s enrichment level is approaching weapons-grade purity. Iran’s nuclear activities have intensified since 2019, after the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed sanctions that have severely impacted Iran’s economy.
