Iran's President Says Country 'Very Cautious' in Talks with US

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday (23 May) that his country is striving to protect national interests and remains extremely cautious in negotiations with the United States. During a meeting with visiting Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir, Pezeshkian cited repeated US violations of commitments, attacks on Iran during negotiations, and targeted killings of Iranian officials as reasons for widespread public distrust, according to a presidential statement. In this context, Iran is conducting negotiations based on “fraternal relations” with friendly nations, including Pakistan, but our primary goal is solely to protect Iran’s national interests through appropriate solutions, Pezeshkian said. “We are only seeking to safeguard our people’s legitimate and legal rights, but our history and experience in dealing with the US compel us to be extremely cautious,” he added, noting that war never benefits any party and would only bring losses to the region and the world. Munir, who arrived in Tehran on Friday (22 May) evening local time, reaffirmed his commitment to regional stability, welcomed progress in talks, and expressed hope for a positive outcome for Iran and the region. Separately, semi-official Iranian news agency Fars reported on Saturday that if Washington does not show flexibility, peace talks with Tehran will fail. Iran insists on not discussing its nuclear programme at this stage, demands the release of its frozen assets before talks, and insists on maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz, Fars reported, citing sources familiar with the matter and close to Iran’s negotiation team. Talks will not proceed unless the three major disputed issues are resolved, according to Fars. Iran, the US, and Israel reached a ceasefire on 8 April after 40 days of fighting that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February. Following the ceasefire, Iranian and US delegations held a round of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 11 and 12 April, but failed to reach an agreement. In recent weeks, both sides have reportedly exchanged proposals outlining conditions to end the conflict through Pakistani mediation.