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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that he believes Tehran and Washington could resolve their differences through dialogue, but warned that trust would remain a major obstacle following recent military attacks by both the United States and Israel.
“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 said during an interview with US right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson. The interview was conducted on Saturday and released on Monday. His comments come less than a month after Israel’s unprecedented June 13 airstrikes on Iran, which killed senior military officials and nuclear scientists.
The Israeli bombardment occurred just two days before scheduled talks between Iran and the US on Tehran’s nuclear programme, leading to an abrupt halt in negotiations aimed at reaching a new agreement. Just over a week later, on June 21, US forces bombed three major Iranian nuclear sites located in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, further escalating tensions.
According to Iranian state media, the death toll from the 12-day conflict has now risen to at least 1,060.
In the interview, Pezeshkian placed the blame for the failed talks squarely on Israel, describing it as Iran’s primary adversary. “How are we going to trust the United States again?” he asked. “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?”
The Iranian president also alleged that Israel attempted to assassinate him during the June strikes. “They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,” Pezeshkian said, responding to Carlson’s question about whether he believed Israel had tried to kill him. “It was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life. It was Israel. I was in a meeting … they tried to bombard the area in which we were holding that meeting,” he added, as translated from Persian into English.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on June 16, did not deny the possibility of targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for assassination. Speaking publicly at the time, he said it could “end the conflict,” amid reports that then-US President Donald Trump had vetoed the proposed operation.
Although a ceasefire between Iran and Israel has held since June 24, Pezeshkian used the interview with Carlson to sharply criticise Netanyahu, accusing him of promoting a strategy of “forever wars” across the Middle East. He also urged Trump not to allow Israel to lead the US into another prolonged regional conflict.
“Netanyahu is pursuing his own agenda. The United States’ president, Mr. Trump, he is capable enough to guide the region towards 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.”
Netanyahu is currently visiting Washington for meetings at the White House. Speaking ahead of those talks, Trump said discussions would include Iran and its nuclear programme. He also praised the June 21 strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, calling them a “tremendous success.”
On Friday, Trump told reporters he believed the US bombing campaign had “permanently set back” Iran’s nuclear ambitions, though he acknowledged that Tehran might attempt to restart its programme elsewhere.
