Pezeshkian says Iran open to ‘dialogue on equal footing’ with US

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says his country was willing to engage in dialogue with the United States as equals, without clarifying whether Tehran would participate in direct talks.

It came after US President Donald Trump, who has called on Tehran to hold direct negotiations on its nuclear program, threatened to bomb Iran if diplomacy fails.

Iran says it is ready to engage in dialogue but refuses direct talks under threats and pressure.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran wants dialogue on equal footing,” Pezeshkian says during a meeting, according to the presidency’s website.

On Thursday, Trump said he would prefer to hold “direct talks” with Iran.

“I think it goes faster and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go through intermediaries,” the US president argued.

But Pezeshkian asks: “If you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?”

“Today, America is not only humiliating Iran, but also the world,” Pezeshkian adds, in an apparent reference to recent policies adopted by Trump, including imposing tariffs on imported goods.

Western countries, led by the United States, have for decades accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran rejects these allegations and maintains that its nuclear activities exist solely for civilian purposes.