Pezeshkian calls for shifting away from ‘no war, no peace’ stalemate
FM spox: US harming diplomacy with ceasefire breaches
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that Iran “must move” beyond the current “no war, no peace” situation, stressing that war is not in the country’s interest.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a memorial ceremony for martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei as peace talks between Iran and the Unites states have reached an impasse due to the US excessive demands and its violations of a ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan.
“We must get out of this ‘no war, no peace’ situation. War is definitely not in the country's interest, but that doesn’t mean that if they want to violate our dignity, our soil and our land, we will surrender or back down.”
The president said managing the country during war and crises was “difficult” and stressed the need for unity and cooperation among all parts of society to overcome challenges facing Iran.
“We must move forward with dignity in a way that saves the future of our country from crises and storms,” he said.
His remarks came as regional countries including Pakistan and Qatar are still making efforts to revive the negotiations which aim to produce a memorandum to end the joint US-Israeli aggression against Iran, end a blockade on Iran’s ports, and secure the release of frozen Iranian assets.
According to ISNA, a Qatari delegation also arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to address remaining differences between the US and Iran.
"Following consultations with the US, Qatari negotiators travelled to Tehran this morning to meet with the Iranians in an effort to bridge the remaining gaps," a diplomat with knowledge of the situation said on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks told AFP.
The diplomatic effort came after Iran and the US on Wednesday exchanged fire following the downing of an American helicopter over the Gulf of Oman, further straining a ceasefire that took effect in April 8.
The tit-for-tat attacks were the most severe escalation since the ceasefire was established. Since then, the US have repeatedly launched attacks on Iran in breach of the truce.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Wednesday that US strikes jeopardized ongoing negotiations. He accused the US of undermining diplomacy with its attacks and contradictory messages. He said that Israel was also harming the diplomatic process by continuing to violate the ceasefire in Lebanon.
“Following overnight events, we need to reassess … Any diplomatic process requires a minimum stable environment,” Baqaei said.
US President Donald Trump accused Iran on Wednesday of taking too long to negotiate a peace deal and warned it would "have to pay the price.”
"Iran is all talk and no action," he said on Wednesday. "They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"
Separately, Trump told a Fox News journalist that because peace talks had stalled, he was getting closer to targeting Iran's power plants and bridges.
In response, Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi said Iran has proven it can respond decisively to US threats. Shekarchi said Tehran has responded to all of Trump’s threats and would “not back down.”