Iran not afraid of war but hopes Trump pursues peace: President Pezeshkian

TEHRAN (Iran News) In an interview with NBC aired on Tuesday, Pezeshkian also reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and emphasized that Tehran is not seeking “nuclear weaponry”.

“I do hope that Trump will conduce to peace in the region and the world not, conversely, contribute to bloodshed or war,” he said when asked about his message for the incoming US president.

During his first term, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and implemented a “maximum pressure” campaign against the Islamic Republic. Several rounds of negotiations under President Joe Biden failed to bring the United States back into compliance with the landmark agreement.

In his recent presidential campaign, Trump threatened that US ally Israel could strike Iranian nuclear facilities.

“We will react to any action. We do not fear war, but we do not seek it,” Pezeshkian said, less than a week before Trump’s return to the White House.

He also reiterated that Iran does not aim to develop nuclear weapons, despite persistent allegations by the United States and its European allies.

When asked by NBC News host Lester Holt about the possibility of entering new negotiations with Trump, President Pezeshkian remarked that the issue is not dialogue itself but the commitments arising from such talks.

“The problem we have is not in dialogue. It’s in the commitments that arise from talks and dialogue that we’ll have to commit to,” he said, adding, “It was the other party did not live up to its promises and obligations.”

Under the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to certain restrictions on its civilian nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions targeting its economy.

Trump’s unprovoked and illegal withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 placed the fate of the deal in limbo. Tehran had remained compliant with the agreement—as repeatedly verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—and continued to honor its terms for a year after the US withdrawal.

However, with European powers failing to counter US pressure, Iran began to reduce its nuclear commitments under the terms of the agreement.