Tehran open to dialogue—if treated as equal

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian signaled on Saturday that Tehran is open to renewed dialogue with the United States—provided it is conducted on equal footing and without threats.

Speaking during a public event, Pezeshkian made it clear that Iran is “ready to talk as equals,” pushing back against recent comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has suggested the need for direct negotiations to resolve the longstanding nuclear dispute.

Trump, now campaigning for a return to office, said he would prefer direct talks with Iran to avoid misunderstandings. However, he also warned of potential military action if diplomacy failed—an approach Tehran firmly rejected.

Pezeshkian questioned the logic behind combining diplomacy with threats of force. “If negotiation is the goal, what purpose do threats serve?” he asked, criticizing what he described as a pattern of humiliation from Washington, not only toward Iran but also toward America's allies.

Tehran continues to insist that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes, such as energy production, despite decades of suspicion from Western powers.

Iran was a signatory to the 2015 nuclear deal with the P5+1 powers (the U.S., U.K., France, Russia, China, and Germany), which placed limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. That deal began to unravel in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States and reimposed sweeping sanctions, prompting Iran to step back from its own commitments.

Since then, Iran has expanded its nuclear program, further straining relations with the West.