Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, Politics, US News, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, World News
Masoud Pezeshkian, president of Iran, has issued a serious response to Donald Trump after he cranked up the heat on his campaign on Iran.
President Pezeshkian has come out with a lengthy response to President Trump over his ‘Maximum Pressure’ campaign on the country’s economy and politics.
Pezeshkian spoke during a meeting of the Iran Entrepreneurs Forum in Tehran yesterday (March 11) and doubled down on his stance that 'Iran is not Ukraine' and that he will not negotiate with the United States under the same conditions he presented to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
If you have missed the media storm that happened after Trump met with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office last month, it began when the two leaders engaged in a televised debate.
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The meeting was fierce and, at times, uncomfortable to watch, leading to Trump to claim that Ukraine is 'playing with World War III'. Vice President JD Vance also called Zelenskyy 'disrespectful' for his attire and for not expressing supposed gratitude to the US.
Afterwards, Trump said the US is 'doing very well with Russia', and 'it may be easier dealing with' Moscow than Kyiv at this point.
For Pezeshkian, it doesn’t bode well for his thoughts on striking a deal with the US after he alleged the nation began a campaign of force.
The president said that while Iran’s private sector wants to be strengthened, it will do so to counteract Western sanctions.
He said: "If we do not sanction ourselves, America or anyone else will not be able to easily sanction us."
Iran and the US have been on rocky grounds since Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - in 2018 during his first term of presidency.
The JCPOA meant that Iran had to implement confidence-building measures to limit its nuclear activities, and then it would receive less strict sanctions.
But when the US pulled out, the Trump administration launched a 'maximum pressure' campaign, which US officials confirmed was aimed at crippling its economy through severe sanctions targeting oil exports, the banking sector, and other critical services.
While Iran has repeatedly stated it is ready to sit down and negotiate on the removal of the sanctions against it, the country will not do so under the conditions Trump is presenting to other world leaders, specifically Zelenskyy.
Pezeshkian criticized Trump for his treatment of the leader, saying, as per state media: “We must maintain relationships with the world. We do not want to be estranged or quarrel with anyone, but that does not mean we will bow in humiliation before anyone.
"We may die with honor, but we will never live in disgrace."
He added that Trump’s conduct in the Oval Office was ‘truly shameful’, stating: "If negotiations are conducted with dignity and based on mutual respect and shared interests, we will sit down and talk. But the language of threats and coercion is absolutely unacceptable."
Pezeshkian also rejected an ultimatum from Trump, after a letter was reportedly sent by the US president to Iran which demanded that Tehran halt its nuclear and missile programs in exchange for sanctions relief.
Pezeshkian then gave Trump a final warning: "It is unacceptable for us that they give orders and make threats. I won’t even negotiate with you. Do whatever the hell you want."
