Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday that the time is right for Tehran and Washington to pursue an agreement, arguing that dialogue offers the best path to resolving outstanding disputes.
“Now is the best time” to reach an agreement, Pezeshkian said at his second news conference since taking office, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.
Pezeshkian said Iran’s unity following its recent conflict had created conditions favorable to negotiations. He said Tehran was prepared to pursue its rights through dialogue and was seeking nothing beyond what he described as the rights of Iran and its people.
The president said his government remains committed to a memorandum of understanding reached with the United States in June and wants to use it as the basis for further discussions.
“The issues cannot be resolved through war alone,” Pezeshkian said, adding that Iran was seeking to move toward peace under the terms of the memorandum.
He said rebuilding trust would be essential, accusing Washington of creating an atmosphere of distrust. Despite the tensions, Pezeshkian said diplomacy had succeeded in bringing the United States to the negotiating table.
Pezeshkian also rejected criticism of Iran’s negotiating team and defended the memorandum, saying it contained no provision requiring Tehran to give up its interests or positions.
He accused Washington of violating the understanding through alternative shipping arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz. He said such disagreements should be addressed through mechanisms established under the memorandum.
While Pezeshkian maintained Iran’s longstanding criticisms of the United States, his comments emphasized diplomacy and negotiations as the preferred way forward.
He also said his administration was working with Iran’s political and security authorities to ease internet restrictions while considering security and infrastructure concerns.
