Iran President Says There Will Be No Talks Under US Pressure, Threats or Blockade

Iranian President Speaks With Pakistan’s Prime Minister by Phone

‘Contradictory’ US Actions Deepen Iranian Distrust

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a phone call that Tehran would not negotiate under “pressure, threats or blockade,” criticizing what he described as a US maritime blockade.

IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, said Pezeshkian thanked Pakistan for its efforts to mediate talks during the call late on April 25. He added that restoring trust and advancing negotiations would remain difficult unless the US halted what he called hostile measures against the Islamic Republic.

The call was the fifth between the leaders of Iran and Pakistan since war broke out in Iran on Feb. 28. Pezeshkian said continued US actions, including a maritime blockade, were at odds with Washington’s stated goal of seeking a political solution.

He said those contradictions had deepened distrust among the Iranian public and officials. For negotiations to succeed, the other side must adopt a trust-building approach based on mutual respect rather than threats and pressure, he added.

Pezeshkian said Iran remained committed to pursuing its legitimate rights within the framework of international law and had sought nothing beyond that. He also said the additional deployment of US forces in the Middle East contradicted US claims that it was pursuing a political solution and would only complicate the situation and hurt the atmosphere for dialogue.

“Our clear recommendation to the United States is to remove operational obstacles, including blockade measures, in order to create conditions conducive to resolving the issue,” he said. Iran remains open to resolving the conflict in a logical, fair and mutually respectful way, he added.

Sharif pledged that Pakistan would use all its capabilities to help achieve an honorable and lasting outcome, IRNA said. The agency said he praised the resilience of the Iranian people and again strongly condemned attacks on Iran by the US and Israel.

Sharif also said this was a highly sensitive moment and that the opportunity should be used to consolidate peace and prevent tensions from flaring up again, drawing on Iran’s prudence and wisdom. He added that he believed Iran was not seeking war but wanted peace based on fairness and equality, free from any pressure.

Park Su-bin, Hankyung.com reporter waterbean@hankyung.com