President says Iran open to ‘honorable’ dialogue to end war
Iran’s president said on Monday that Tehran can engage in dialogue with dignity to resolve disputes with the United States but would not give in to coercion or bullying.
Referring to plots by Iran’s enemies to undermine the country, Masoud Pezeshkian said the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei had ordered an end to the state of neither war nor peace.
“The Supreme Leader ordered us to put an end to the state of neither war nor peace. We can engage in dialogue with dignity and bring the matter to a dignified conclusion,” he said.
“We are people of dialogue and negotiation, and logic dictates that if we can secure our rights through dialogue, we should not involve ourselves in war. But we will not surrender in the face of coercion and bullying,” he added.
The president said he had also underscored Iran’s position in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, making clear that Tehran was prepared to negotiate on the basis of justice and under equal conditions while insisting on its rights.
Regional mediators have stepped up diplomatic efforts after recent threats by the US President Donald Trump that the US could resume full-scale strikes on Iran.
However, Trump cast doubt on renewed fighting with Iran on Sunday, telling CNN it was “highly unlikely,” ahead of a meeting with mediator Qatar’s prime minister on Monday.
Trump threatened to resume strikes in recent weeks, with US media reports suggesting that hostilities could restart after last Tuesday’s midterm elections.
The president told CNN that renewed fighting was “highly unlikely,” but warned that his decision “depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement.”
Trump is scheduled to meet Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also the country’s foreign minister, at the White House on Monday.
A senior Qatari official told Al Jazeera that both parties to the US-Iran conflict continue to speak to mediators about the main details of a deal to end the eight-month war.