Iran open to negotiations to end ‘no war, no peace’ situation, says Pezeshkian 

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - TEHRAN — Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei told the country’s leadership to end the country’s “no war, no peace” situation, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday, stressing that Tehran seeks dialogue based on mutual respect but will not surrender to pressure from the United States.

“We can negotiate with dignity and resolve the issue with dignity. We favor dialogue and negotiations,” he said, according to a statement published on the Iranian presidency’s website.

Pezeshkian stressed that logic dictates resolving disputes through negotiations rather than war whenever a country’s rights can be secured through dialogue.

“However, we will not surrender to force and bullying,” he added.

Recalling his address to the UN General Assembly, the president reiterated that Iran seeks negotiations based on justice and equal conditions while refusing to relinquish its rights under pressure.

Referring to what he described as plots by Iran’s adversaries to undermine the country, Pezeshkian emphasized the importance of strengthening domestic production and meeting national needs to enhance resilience and independence.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehran's two-day proposal to resolve the ongoing crisis remains on the table, asserting that security in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz could be restored within 48 hours if the United States meets Iran's demands.

According to Iranian news agency ISNA, Baghaei, speaking at a weekly press conference, described the proposal as the "most reasonable possible plan" and indicated that positive developments in the region could follow if Washington responds to Tehran's conditions.

"Iran's two-day plan is the most reasonable possible plan and remains on the table; if the United States meets Iran's demands, the region will see positive developments within two days, and security will return to the Strait of Hormuz," Baghaei said, according to IRNA.

“The Americans must make a genuine decision, if they have properly understood the message of their own people,” he added.

Baghaei also said that Iran’s proposal demonstrated its goodwill, dismissing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claims that Tehran’s demands were irrational.

Iran’s demands, including the lifting of the economic blockade and an end to hostilities on all fronts, are entirely logical. Iran wants these demands to be met before negotiations with the United States resume.

“What is irrational and absurd is the US attack on Iran in the middle of negotiations. By any logic, norm or standard, the US attack was not only absurd, illegal and irrational, but also criminal,” Baghaei said.

His remarks come amid uncertainty surrounding diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict, with negotiations between Washington and Tehran witnessing little progress in recent days.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also indicated that diplomatic activity had slowed following the results of the US elections, which he said had affected efforts by mediators to facilitate negotiations.