Iran president faces backlash for ‘soft' US stance
The backlash followed the release of an interview with US media personality Tucker Carlson, in which Pezeshkian said Iran had 'no problem' resuming talks so long as trust could be rebuilt between the two sides.
His comments came less than a month after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on June 13 that killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists in Iran.
The Israeli attacks took place two days before a planned meeting between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving nuclear negotiations. The talks have since stalled.
'Have you forgotten that these same Americans, together with the Zionists, used the negotiations to buy time and prepare for the attack?' said an editorial in the hardline Kayhan newspaper, which has long opposed engagement with the West.
The United States, which had been in talks with Iran since April 12, joined Israel in carrying out its own strikes on June 22, targeting Iranian nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.
The conservative Javan daily also took aim at Pezeshkian, saying his remarks appeared 'a little too soft.'
'We believe the real meaning of a conversation with an American presenter is conveyed when the words reflect the public's anger and total distrust of America,' it said.
In contrast, the reformist Ham Mihan newspaper praised Pezeshkian's 'positive approach.'
'This interview should have been conducted a long time ago,' it wrote, adding that 'Iranian officials have unfortunately long been absent from the international and American media landscape.'
Iranian authorities say the Israeli strikes killed at last 1,060 people. Israel, in turn, was hit by waves of retaliatory drone and missile fire, which authorities said left dead at least 28 people.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran announces formation of National Defense Council
Iran on Sunday announced the establishment of a new National Defense Council, tasked with centrally reviewing defense strategies and enhancing the country's military capabilities. The new body will 'review defense plans and enhance the capabilities of the armed forces in a centralized manner,' state media reported, citing the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council. The council will be chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian and will bring together senior leadership from across Iran's government and military establishment. Its members will include the speaker of parliament, the head of the judiciary, top commanders from the armed forces, and select ministers from relevant ministries. The council's creation was approved by the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body, under Article 176 of the country's constitution. Earlier on Sunday, Iranian army chief Amir Hatami said threats from Israel remain serious. 'A 1 percent threat must be perceived as a 100 percent threat. We should not underestimate the enemy and consider its threats as over,' Hatami said, according to the official IRNA news agency, adding that Iran's missile and drone power 'remains standing and ready for operations.' In June, Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iranian territory, including on nuclear facilities, during what has been dubbed the 12-day war. Tehran responded with waves of missiles and drone attacks against Israel. Last month, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that his country would strike Iran again if threatened.
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Turkey condemns Jewish prayer on Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
Ankara on Sunday blasted an Israeli government minister for conducting a Jewish prayer on the Al-Aqsa compound in east Jerusalem. In a highly controversial move, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir publicly conducted on Sunday a Jewish prayer at the mosque's compound, which is Islam's third-holiest site, and sits on the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest place. 'We strongly condemn the raid carried out on the Al-Aqsa Mosque by certain Israeli ministers, under the protection of Israeli police and accompanied by groups of Israeli settlers,' the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement. 'The security of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the preservation of Jerusalem's sacred identity are not only regional priorities but also a primary responsibility on behalf of humanity's collective conscience,' it said. Jewish religious rituals are prohibited in the compound by a long-standing agreement between Israel and Jordan, custodian of the site. In recent years, the understanding, known as the 'status quo' has been repeatedly violated by Jewish visitors, including members of Israel's parliament.
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
US confirms death of an American in West Bank; family blames Israeli settler arson
The US State Department on Sunday confirmed an American citizen had died this week in the West Bank, with family and Palestinian officials attributing his death to arson by Israeli settlers. The Palestinian Authority and witnesses reported on Thursday that Israeli settlers had set fire to homes and cars in the West Bank village of Silwad, the latest attack in the occupied territory. Khamis Ayyad, 41, died from smoke inhalation due to the fires, the Palestinian health ministry said. Speaking Friday at a press conference in Chicago, Ayyad's family said he had moved to the West Bank several years ago with his wife and children, but continued to work for an American company. He is at least the second American citizen killed in West Bank settler violence in July, after a 20-year-old man was beaten to death while visiting family in the town of Sinjil. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, demanded Israel investigate that killing, calling it a 'criminal and terrorist act,' but has yet to comment on the death of Ayyad. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said 'several suspects ... set fire to property and vehicles in the Silwad area,' but forces dispatched to the scene were unable to identify them. It added that Israeli police had launched an investigation. Asked for comment on the latest death, a State Department spokesperson said 'we can confirm the death of a US citizen in the town of Silwad in the West Bank,' without naming Ayyad. 'We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank,' the spokesperson said, on condition of anonymity. The West Bank is home to some three million Palestinians, who live alongside about 500,000 Israeli settlers. Violence in the territory has surged throughout the Gaza war triggered by Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel.
