Iran President Says Country Won’t Yield to External Pressure, Excessive Demands

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country will not yield to external pressure or excessive demands, underscoring Tehran’s hard-line stance as hopes for progress in U.S.-Iran talks persist.

Odaily, a cryptocurrency-focused media outlet, reported on May 25, citing Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, that Pezeshkian said, “Iran will not yield to external pressure or excessive demands under any circumstances.”

He said Iran’s hostile forces had failed in the military arena and were now shifting their focus to economic warfare. Iran’s ongoing negotiations and external contacts, he added, are intended to fully safeguard the rights of the Iranian people.

The remarks came as expectations and uncertainty over U.S.-Iran talks to end the conflict continued to coexist. Iran’s Foreign Ministry had earlier said there had been progress on several issues related to a potential memorandum of understanding with the US, while adding that an agreement was not imminent.

Markets are watching the course of U.S.-Iran negotiations for their potential impact on the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices and sentiment toward risk assets. Iran has kept the door open to talks while reaffirming it will not bow to outside pressure, leaving both optimism over negotiations and geopolitical uncertainty in play over the near term.