Iran’s Pezeshkian Says Tehran Lost Trust in US After Previous Talks Collapsed

‘We no longer trust US’: Pezeshkian says past talks followed by attacks, sanctions

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran has lost trust in negotiations with Washington, arguing that previous rounds of talks were followed by military attacks, sanctions and other punitive measures. Speaking to Al Jazeera in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iran had held four or five rounds of talks with the US, but each diplomatic effort was followed by further pressure from Washington.

“This is the fourth or fifth time we’ve held talks. What has happened, and continues to happen, is that we no longer trust these talks,” Pezeshkian said. He alleged that Washington had continued to attack Iran and impose sanctions despite the negotiations.

“After a while, they start attacking us, imposing sanctions, and taking the kind of actions they have taken before,” he said.

Pezeshkian hits out at Trump’s UNGA speech

Pezeshkian also criticised US President Donald Trump’s address to the UN General Assembly, saying Trump had threatened Iran and described Iranians as “terrorists”. “The day after the US President’s speech, it was our turn to speak. In effect, he threatened to wipe Iran off the map, and, as a result, labelled us ‘terrorists’,” Pezeshkian told Al Jazeera.

The comments came amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington and efforts by mediators to keep a diplomatic channel open.

Iran awaits US response to proposal

Despite saying that Tehran no longer trusts the talks, Pezeshkian said Iran had put forward a peace proposal through Qatar. He said the two sides had at least reached an understanding on a framework and that the next step depended on Washington.

“At least, we have reached an understanding on a framework and announced it. Now, the Americans have to respond. Are they willing to move forward within this framework, or do they want to derail the process again?” he said.

Trump says he rejected Iran proposal

US President Donald Trump, however, said Saturday that he had rejected the proposal sent by Iran through Qatari mediators. Trump claimed Iran was under severe economic pressure because of the US naval blockade and said Tehran wanted the Strait of Hormuz reopened.

“What they want to do is immediately open the Hormuz Strait,” Trump said, adding that Iran was “dying” because it had “no money coming in”. Trump also defended the US blockade, describing it as the “greatest blockade ever” and saying Washington had targeted Iran’s economy through restrictions on its ports.

The contrasting positions leave the diplomatic process uncertain, with Tehran saying it has presented a framework for negotiations while Washington has rejected the latest Iranian proposal.