Iranian president says Washington cannot expect dialogue with Tehran while issuing threats

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that the US cannot expect dialogue with Iran while at the same time issuing threats.

Washington “must recognize the rights of our nation and stop their bullying and aggression, then we can sit together and talk,” Pezeshkian said in remarks carried by the state-run IRNA news agency.

“You cannot block all the roads and threaten and at the same time want to talk,” he added.

Accusing the US of “reneging” on its commitments, the Iranian president said: “I believe that one should not enter into a pact lightly, but once a pact is made, one must remain committed to it until the end – even if it proves disadvantageous.”

Tensions in the Middle East have remained high since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28.

Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The US and Iran subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding in June concerning freedom of navigation in the strait, but implementation stalled over disagreements related to security in the strategic waterway.