Iranian President: Negotiations with US are Meaningless, Always Resulting in Attacks

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that negotiations with the United States (US) are no longer meaningful. He alleged that every round of talks is instead followed by attacks against Iran.

Pezeshkian made these remarks amidst the deadlock in efforts to end the war in the Middle East. As reported by AFP on Monday (5/10/2026), Pezeshkian’s statement was cited by the Iranian state news agency, IRNA.

“So far, they have attacked us three times following negotiations. This demonstrates that they are not seeking dialogue, but rather their goal is to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Pezeshkian.

He assessed that negotiations become pointless when Iran faces what he described as assassinations, sanctions, pressure, and threats from the US.

“With an enemy that carries out assassinations, sanctions, pressure, and threats every day, and violates its commitments, negotiations become meaningless,” he added.

The war in the Middle East began in late February when the US and Israel launched a series of sudden attacks against Iran. These attacks occurred while Washington and Tehran were engaged in negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear programme.

Both parties had previously agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June, which contained a framework for a permanent resolution to the conflict. However, the situation deteriorated again after Iran launched attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US subsequently resumed military operations. Negotiations between the two nations have practically reached a deadlock since that time.

Indirect meetings between the US and Iran on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly also failed to produce any breakthrough.

In recent weeks, Washington has reduced its military operations and is relying more heavily on economic pressure. The US has reportedly not launched any attacks against Iran since 1 September.