(CNN) website reported on April 25 local time: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Tehran would not engage in "coerced negotiations" with the United States under pressure and threats.
In a phone call with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pezeshkian said actions taken by Washington are undermining trust and complicating the path to dialogue. He emphasized that progress would be difficult unless Washington ends its "hostile actions and pressure."
Pezeshkian stressed that Washington must first remove "shipping obstacles," including the blockade of vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports, in order to create conditions for resolving the issue.
The core stance of President Pezeshkian’s latest statement is a firm rejection of "coerced negotiations" under pressure, threats, and blockades. His underlying message is clear: negotiation must be based on equality and respect—not extortion.
Pezeshkian made it unequivocally clear that no talks will take place unless hostile actions and pressure cease. Iran views the U.S. strategy—sending signals for negotiation while maintaining blockades—as fundamentally contradictory, significantly deepening distrust. Secondly, he has set the removal of maritime blockades as a prerequisite. Given that nearly 90% of Iran’s economy depends on sea trade, cutting off transportation amounts to an existential threat. Iran has already labeled this action as "acts of war," thus demanding that the U.S. first eliminate shipping barriers.
Currently, the focus of the confrontation has shifted from "nuclear issues" to "ending war." Iran is attempting to reframe negotiations away from unfavorable technical disputes and into a new framework that strongly favors its position.
To this end, Iran has launched a comprehensive diplomatic offensive, seeking support from regional powers. Pezeshkian appealed to countries like Pakistan and Turkey to use their influence to counterbalance the U.S.; the Pakistani prime minister responded positively. At the same time, Iran has adopted a tough stance in diplomacy—Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi left Pakistan ahead of schedule, forcing the cancellation of the U.S. delegation’s itinerary and delivering a strong signal of deterrence.
In short, there exists a structural contradiction between the current positions of the U.S. and Iran, and mutual trust has been severely eroded. Both sides are preparing for the worst-case scenario, with military confrontation and the risk of accidental escalation rapidly increasing. This makes the prospects for negotiation extremely bleak, trapping both parties in a vicious cycle of diplomatic deadlock and escalating confrontation.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863496721975296/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.