In remarks broadcast by Iranian state media, President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Saturday that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not participate in any negotiations conducted under conditions of pressure, threats, or naval blockade, drawing a sharp contrast between Washington's stated desire for diplomacy and what Tehran characterises as continued acts of hostility, the Iranian Press Tv reported.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has assumed a mediating role between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks. Pakistan hosted the first round of indirect talks between Iranian and American delegations in its capital, Islamabad, earlier this month.
According to the Iranian president, the United States' simultaneous application of pressure tactics and its professed willingness to engage in a diplomatic process are fundamentally contradictory. "The contradiction has increased the level of mistrust [in Washington] among the Iranian people and officials of the Islamic Republic," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state media.
On 7 April 2026, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in what Iranian officials have described as unprovoked American aggression against the Islamic Republic. Subsequent talks took place in Islamabad but failed to produce an agreement, with Tehran attributing the breakdown to what it called maximalist American demands and an insistence on unreasonable positions. Trump subsequently announced he was unilaterally extending the ceasefire, but simultaneously ordered the continuation of a naval blockade targeting Iranian vessels and ports — a measure Tehran has condemned as illegal under international law.
Iran has categorically refused to return to the negotiating table unless the United States lifts the blockade. Tehran has further asserted that, for as long as the blockade remains in force, it has no intention of reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz — a critical artery for global oil shipments — which it has shut down to all traffic in retaliation. American media outlets have reported that a second round of talks could take place in Islamabad, though Iranian officials have given no indication they would participate under current conditions.
Pezeshkian was explicit in his assessment of Washington's conduct. "The continuation of hostile US measures, including a naval blockade, is inconsistent with its stated claims of pursuing a political resolution," he said. He added that "as long as the United States' hostile actions and operational pressures do not cease, rebuilding trust and making progress on the path of dialogue will face serious difficulty."
The Iranian president urged Washington to remove what he described as operational obstacles — foremost among them the naval blockade — as a prerequisite for creating any environment in which substantive issues could be addressed. He was unambiguous about Iran's position: "The Islamic Republic will not enter imposed negotiations under pressure, threats, or blockade."
Photo: Press Tv