Pjeshkian questions Trump's authority, gives mixed messages on war

The Iranian president has said that the US president has no logical reason to deprive Iran of its nuclear rights. Addressing Donald Trump, Masoud Pezeshkian said, ‘Who is he to take away this right?’

Pezeshkian’s comment was published by the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA). Pezeshkian made such comments amid the failure of the Islamabad dialogue over the nuclear program and preparations for the second round of talks.

Pezeshkian raised the question, ‘Trump says Iran cannot have nuclear rights. But he does not explain why this right will not be there. Who is he to take away the rights of a nation?’

After Pezeshkian’s comment, Al Jazeera journalist Touhid Asadi wrote from Tehran that both positive and negative messages are now being received from Iran.

While the Iranian president has questioned Trump’s authority on the one hand, he has also sent a message that Tehran does not want war. Pezeshkian said Iran wants to end the war with dignity.

Tehran says it is ready for another round of confrontation, but is also prioritizing diplomacy and compromise. “We know that the situation is very delicate,” wrote Touhid Asadi. “But one thing is clear: Tehran is trying to use this uncertainty as a bargaining chip.”

There were some positive signs after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened. But later, the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused the United States of “piracy” and announced that it would close the Strait.

Asadi wrote that Tehran is trying to use this difficult situation as an additional advantage or a point of pressure before a possible new round of talks.