Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States must end threats and remove sanctions before talks can advance, presenting Washington's pressure as an obstacle to renewed engagement. Iran's state broadcaster Press TV reported Oct. 21 that he made the remarks in a post on X. Pezeshkian argued that tighter sanctions would make talks harder to pursue.
His message echoed a condition he had raised during earlier remarks to Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's army chief. EconoTimes previously reported on Pezeshkian's sanctions demand during the meeting. Pakistani sources said at the time that Washington and Tehran would maintain indirect contact through mediators.
EconoTimes previously reported that Pezeshkian cited attacks during past diplomatic efforts as a source of Tehran's distrust toward Washington. He also warned that renewed conflict would burden Iran, countries across the region and the United States, in coverage of Iran's position on uranium transfers.
In a Sept. 23 address to the United Nations, Pezeshkian objected to countries benefiting from access to the Strait of Hormuz while restricting Iran's own access.
