Pezeshkian says Iran's talks with Kushner and Whittaker focused on its rights under international law
The Iranian president says the delegation asked for nothing beyond what Iran is entitled to under international law.
Published
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the delegation's meeting with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff centered on international law and on Iran's rights and entitlements. He said the delegation has not asked for anything beyond what Iran is entitled to.
Pezeshkian has said Iran is open to an agreement with the United States if it stays within an international legal framework, and that Iran reached an agreement with Donald Trump that was signed, citing funds blocked in China as an obstacle to implementing it. He has also said Iran has presented a new proposal to the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and that it is open to nuclear inspections.
Pezeshkian has said Iran never sought war and does not seek one, but that the war was imposed on Iran and it is forced to defend itself when attacked. He has said Iran will keep resisting until the end and will endure any hardship, and that it is up to the United States to end the war before year-end, with Tehran seeking to revive its ceasefire understanding before November's midterms.
The remarks come as an Iranian adviser has warned that the region will lose air services if Iran's own are cut, after the UAE suspended flights by an Iranian airline. Pezeshkian's framing of the talks around international law and existing entitlements points to a shift toward negotiation rather than escalation, in line with his recent proposals on a phased deal and reopening the strait. But the distance between Iran's rights-based framing and any active US willingness to concede remains unclear, and Israel's opposition to a deal continues to complicate the chances of a resolution before year-end.