Pezeshkian’s statement was carefully calibrated to balance domestic hardline pressures
Iran president gives go-ahead for talks with US
Pezeshkian says talks with the US should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided.
Tuesday 03/02/2026
Pezeshkian’s statement was carefully calibrated to balance domestic hardline pressures
DUBAI - Talks with the US should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday.
"Taking into account demands from friendly regional countries to respond to the US President's suggestion for talks, I instructed the foreign minister to prepare the ground for equitable and fair negotiations ... should an atmosphere free of threats and unreasonable expectations arise," Pezeshkian said.
This is a direct reference to the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group currently stationed in the Arabian Sea and the "Maximum Pressure" rhetoric emanating from the White House.
The Iranian President’s statement was carefully calibrated to balance domestic hardline pressures with the urgent economic and military realities facing Iran.
The presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying destroyers serves as the primary leverage for the US administration. Military analysts suggest the deployment of F-35C stealth fighters has successfully checked Iran's "shadow fleet" and drone operations.
The January 30 sanctions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ financial networks and crypto-exchanges have created a liquidity crisis in Tehran, further incentivizing the government to seek sanctions relief.