Iran's President Says Tehran Open to Dialogue with US, Accuses Israel of Assassination Attempt
"I am of the belief that we could very much easily resolve our differences and conflicts with the United States through dialogue and talks," Pezeshkian told conservative US podcaster Tucker Carlson in an interview conducted on Saturday.
The Iranian leader urged US President Donald Trump not to be drawn into war with Iran by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Washington on Monday for talks at the White House.
"The United States' president, Mr. Trump, he is capable enough to guide the region towards the peace and a brighter future and put Israel in its place. Or get into a pit, an endless pit, or a swamp," Pezeshkian said. "So it is up to the United States president to choose which path."
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said she was not sure if Trump had seen the Iranian president's comments, but agreed he was the right man to move the region towards peace.
Pezeshkian blamed Israel, Iran's arch-enemy, for the collapse of talks that were in place when Israel began its strikes on Iran on June 13, starting a 12-day air war with Israel in which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.
"How are we going to trust the United States again?" Pezeshkian said. "How can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks the Israeli regime will not be given the permission again to attack us?"
Pezeshkian also said that Israel tried to assassinate him.
"They did try, yes," he said. "They acted accordingly, but they failed."
Israel did not immediately respond to the allegation. A senior Israeli military official said last month that Israel killed more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists in its attack on to Iran's nuclear sites.
Trump said he expected to discuss Iran and its nuclear ambitions with Netanyahu, praising the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as a tremendous success. On Friday, he told reporters that he believed Tehran's nuclear program had been set back permanently, although Iran could restart efforts elsewhere.
Iran has always denied seeking a nuclear weapon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Supreme Court clears the way for Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce
WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The justices overrode lower court orders that temporarily froze the cuts, which have been led by the Department of Government Efficiency. The court said in an unsigned order that no specific cuts were in front of the justices, only an executive order issued by Trump and an administration directive for agencies to undertake job reductions. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenting vote, accusing her colleagues of a 'demonstrated enthusiasm for greenlighting this President's legally dubious actions in an emergency posture.' Jackson warned of enormous real-world consequences. 'This executive action promises mass employee terminations, widespread cancelation of federal programs and services, and the dismantling of much of the Federal Government as Congress has created it,' she wrote. The high court action continued a remarkable winning streak for Trump, who the justices have allowed to move forward with significant parts of his plan to remake the federal government. The Supreme Court's intervention so far has been on the frequent emergency appeals the Justice Department has filed objecting to lower-court rulings as improperly intruding on presidential authority. The Republican president has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate for the work, and he tapped billionaire ally Elon Musk to lead the charge through DOGE. Musk recently left his role. Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, have left their jobs via deferred resignation programs or have been placed on leave. There is no official figure for the job cuts, but at least 75,000 federal employees took deferred resignation and thousands of probationary workers have already been let go. In May, US District Judge Susan Illston found that Trump's administration needs congressional approval to make sizable reductions to the federal workforce. By a 2-1 vote, a panel of the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to block Illston's order, finding that the downsizing could have broader effects, including on the nation's food-safety system and health care for veterans. Illston directed numerous federal agencies to halt acting on the president's workforce executive order signed in February and a subsequent memo issued by DOGE and the Office of Personnel Management. Illston was nominated by former Democratic President Bill Clinton. The labor unions and nonprofit groups that sued over the downsizing offered the justices several examples of what would happen if it were allowed to take effect, including cuts of 40 percent to 50 percent at several agencies. Baltimore, Chicago and San Francisco were among cities that also sued. Among the agencies affected by the order are the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, the Interior, State, the Treasury and Veterans Affairs. It also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Association, Social Security Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. The case now continues in Illston's court.
Argaam
an hour ago
- Argaam
Trump says to impose tariffs on BRICS, copper imports
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington will soon impose tariffs on BRICS countries, and also intends to introduce high tariffs on copper imports.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi crown prince meets Iranian foreign minister amid regional diplomacy push
JEDDAH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Their meeting came as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries and navigate a turbulent regional landscape. During the meeting, Prince Mohammed and Araghchi reviewed the state of Saudi-Iranian relations and exchanged views on recent developments across the region. The crown prince underscored the Kingdom's hope that the current ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel would help lay the groundwork for enhanced regional security and stability. Reaffirming Saudi Arabia's longstanding support for diplomatic solutions, the crown prince stressed the importance of dialogue in resolving regional disputes and reducing tensions. For his part, Araghchi expressed gratitude for the Kingdom's stance in condemning Israeli aggression, and praised Prince Mohammed's personal commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. The meeting was attended by several senior Saudi officials, including Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, and National Security Advisor Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban. Earlier in the day, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Iranian counterpart in Makkah, where the two officials also discussed bilateral relations and explored ways to foster regional cooperation. Their talks focused on the evolving situation in the region and mutual efforts to safeguard security and stability.
