TEHRAN – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held separate telephone conversations with Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate and France’s President emphasizing Tehran’s readiness for dialogue to resolve regional disputes while expressing deep distrust toward the United States over its hostile actions during past negotiations.
In a telephone conversation with Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Ali Falih al-Zaidi late on Tuesday, President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Tehran’s readiness to resolve regional disputes through dialogue, describing the Iraqi nation not merely as a neighbor but as a “brother.”
President Pezeshkian stated that Iran seeks no conflict with its neighbors and is fully prepared to reach understandings with regional Muslim countries, establish common regulations, and settle all disagreements—whether in the Persian Gulf or elsewhere in the region—through peaceful negotiations. He emphasized that such an approach would eliminate the grounds for war and instability, paving the way for lasting regional stability and cooperation.
The Iranian president also reiterated Tehran’s commitment to supporting Baghdad and strengthening bilateral ties based on mutual respect and understanding. He invited al-Zaidi to Tehran for his first official visit to finalize agreements and expand cooperation.
Pezeshkian criticized Washington’s “contradictory approach” of pursuing both a “maximum pressure” campaign, and calls for negotiations. He stressed that Iran would never surrender to unilateral demands or coercion. He further emphasized that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and that Tehran has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons, citing the religious decree (fatwa) prohibiting such arms. However, he made it clear that Iran will not abandon its scientific and technological achievements under pressure.
“The followers of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) household cannot be forced into submission through pressure or force,” the president said, calling on the US to halt its threatening approach, particularly those stemming from American military bases deployed across the region.
For his part, Prime Minister-designate al-Zaidi described Iran and Iraq as “two bodies with one soul” and pledged to elevate cooperation across economic, political, and security fields. He called Iran Iraq’s “strategic depth” and praised the Islamic Republic’s strength, particularly in the fight against ISIL, as an important pillar for the Muslim world.
Al-Zaidi also expressed Iraq’s readiness to host negotiations between Iran and the United States to end tensions, describing such mediation as both a religious and political responsibility. He emphasized that disputes must ultimately be resolved through dialogue because continued conflict cannot endure indefinitely.
In a separate conversation on Wednesday evening, President Pezeshkian also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron. During the talk, the two sides reviewed the strategic situation in the region—particularly the Strait of Hormuz and the status of the initial ceasefire agreement and negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the United States—exchanging their views and assessments.
Referring to Iran’s distrust of the United States, Pezeshkian made it clear that this distrust stems from hostile actions by the American side, the most recent examples of which include two attacks on Iran while negotiations were underway—acts that he said effectively amount to backstabbing.
Pezeshkian also emphasized that the Islamic Republic, operating within the framework of international laws and regulations, is ready to seriously pursue diplomatic channels to end the war while insisting on securing the rights of the Iranian nation.