Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed confidence that differences with the United States can be resolved through dialogue but acknowledged trust remains a challenge after U.S. and Israeli attacks, according to an interview released on Monday.
“I am of the belief that we could very much easily resolve our differences and conflicts with the United States through dialogue and talks,” Pezeshkian told conservative U.S. podcaster Tucker Carlson in an interview conducted on Saturday.
The Iranian leader urged U.S. President Donald Trump not to be drawn into war with Iran by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Washington on Monday for talks at the White House.
“The United States’ president, Mr. Trump, he is capable enough to guide the region towards peace and a brighter future and put Israel in its place. Or get into a pit, an endless pit, or a swamp,” Pezeshkian said. “So it is up to the United States president to choose which path.”
He blamed Israel, Iran’s arch-enemy, for the collapse of talks that were in place when Israel began its strikes on Iran on June 13, starting a 12-day air war with Israel in which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.
Trust Remains Elusive
“How are we going to trust the United States again?” Pezeshkian said. “How can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks, the Israeli regime will not be given permission again to attack us?”
Pezeshkian also said that Israel tried to assassinate him.
“They did try, yes,” he said. “They acted accordingly, but they failed.”
Israel did not immediately respond to the allegation. A senior Israeli military official said last month that Israel killed more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists in its attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Trump said he expected to discuss Iran and its nuclear ambitions with Netanyahu, praising the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as a tremendous success. On Friday, he told reporters that he believed Tehran’s nuclear program had been set back permanently, although Iran could restart efforts elsewhere.
Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear weapon.
(With inputs from Reuters)
