Iran ready for talks but will not accept bullying, Pezeshkian tells CBS

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is prepared for negotiations but will not accept bullying or coercion, in an exclusive interview with CBS News' "Face the Nation" broadcast late on Friday. The interview was conducted in New York City, where Pezeshkian had addressed the 81st session of the UN General Assembly earlier in the week.

On Iran's nuclear program and the possibility of inspections in return for sanctions relief, Pezeshkian said Iran has never sought nuclear weapons. He stated that the US and Israel assassinated the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, whose religious decree bans the development of nuclear weapons. Pezeshkian also said Iran was in the middle of negotiations and had reached an agreement with the US when it was attacked. "America's intention is not to resolve the issue. America's intention is to overthrow our administration. Israel says in their own speech, what they're doing is neutralizing the government, not negotiating," he said, according to a transcript shared on the CBS News website. "We are doing everything humanly possible, but not through bullying and coercion intended to force us into submission. We're already negotiating. Why are they concurrently attacking us?" Pezeshkian added.

Regarding Iran's seven-day plan to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, a proposal conveyed to the US by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi through mediator Qatar on the sidelines of the UNGA, Pezeshkian said implementation will begin as soon as the US accepts the plan. He said the seven-day plan pursues the same goals as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Iran and the US in mid-June. According to the president, there is deep distrust between Tehran and Washington, stemming from the latter's actions. He noted that the US tore apart the 2015 nuclear deal and twice attacked Iran, in 2025 and 2026, when the two sides were in the midst of negotiations, and then breached the memorandum. "Basically, we need to determine now what exactly we want to reach an understanding on. If we don't abide by what we have written down as necessary, can we really resolve it through dialogue?" Pezeshkian said, as quoted by CBS News. "The first thing that needs to happen is that the distrust created by this war has to be overcome. We need to abide by what we have written down. The United States needs to show that it does not intend to overthrow our government or our administration," he added.

Asked whether Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei had advised him to pursue diplomacy, Pezeshkian said all discussions and decisions had been coordinated. He said a six-member team had been formed in Iran, comprising representatives from the military, parliament, administration and other institutions. The team has the authority to make decisions and implement them in coordination, he added. Asked why he came to New York despite the risks, Pezeshkian rejected claims that Iranian officials had been hiding in shelters during the war. He said he remained active, visiting several ministries each day and holding meetings with ministers. According to Mehr News, the interview covered Iran's stance on domestic issues as well as regional and international developments.