President: Iran will negotiate from position of strength amid ‘full-scale war’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that the country will negotiate from a position of strength and dignity to secure the rights of Iranians amid a “full-scale war”.
Speaking at a government cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said Iran is facing war “in all dimensions,” while emphasizing that talks and negotiations are continuing alongside efforts to defend the country's rights.
“We are in a full-scale war in all dimensions,” Pezeshkian said. “Of course, under these circumstances, while we are engaged in dialogue and negotiations, we speak from a position of dignity and strength to secure the rights of the Iranian people, while at the same time we are vigorously pursuing the plan of resistance and resilience, and we will certainly and without a doubt resist and make the enemy disappointed and frustrated.”
Pezeshkian said the government must not allow existing problems to damage people's livelihoods or disrupt the cycle of production, while calling for support for domestic production.
He described the preservation of national unity and internal cohesion as an essential prerequisite for defeating Iran's enemies and said, “I recommend avoiding, in any way, any issue that could create division and a rift in society”.
Despite a hiatus in negotiations between Tehran and Washington due to the US violations of a Pakistan-mediated agreement to end the aggression against Iran, exchange of messages and proposals through regional mediators are underway to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry official Ibrahim Al-Hashmi whose country alongside Pakistan are mediating the negotiations, said on Tuesday that the US and Iran are still engaged in talks despite an apparent deadlock seven months into the conflict.
According to Iranian officials, Tehran is reviewing a Washington’s response to its recent proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was delivered to US officials during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
US Vice President JD Vance said in an exclusive interview with Reuters that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the seven-month war.
Vance has taken a leading role in negotiating a settlement to the conflict and brokered a provisional peace agreement in June that quickly fell apart. The war has jolted global energy markets and become a political liability for President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans ahead of November midterm elections.
Speaking on Monday after a campaign trip in Alaska, Vance said any agreement would require Iran to reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity.