Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed openness to engaging in dialogue with the United States to resolve long-standing tensions, though he acknowledged that building trust would be difficult following recent U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran.
In an interview with U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson, recorded on Saturday and published Monday, Pezeshkian said, “I truly believe our disputes with the U.S. can be settled through direct discussions.” However, he emphasized that trust remains a significant obstacle given recent developments.
He also urged U.S. President Donald Trump to avoid being drawn into a conflict with Iran by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in Washington for meetings at the White House. According to Pezeshkian, Trump faces a choice between pursuing peace in the region or becoming entangled in ongoing instability. “President Trump has the ability to lead the region toward peace and a better future — or be pulled into a trap,” he said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded by saying she was unsure whether Trump had seen the remarks but echoed the view that he is capable of fostering peace in the region.
Pezeshkian blamed Israel for derailing previous negotiations, pointing to the airstrikes launched on June 13 that sparked nearly two weeks of conflict and led to the deaths of senior Iranian officials and nuclear scientists. He questioned how Iran could return to talks when there’s a risk of similar attacks occurring mid-negotiation.
“How can we rebuild trust with the U.S. when Israel might once again be allowed to strike during talks?” he asked.
The Iranian president also claimed that there had been an attempt on his life, saying, “Yes, they tried. They took action but did not succeed.”
Israel has not commented directly on the accusation. However, an Israeli military official stated last month that over 30 high-ranking security figures and 11 senior nuclear scientists were targeted and killed during operations against Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Trump has said he plans to discuss Iran and its nuclear program with Netanyahu. He called the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian facilities a major victory and stated on Friday that he believed Tehran’s nuclear capabilities had been significantly reduced, although he acknowledged that Iran might try to restart its efforts in the future.
Iran maintains that its nuclear activities are strictly peaceful.
