ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Tehran is prepared to reassure the international community that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons, as negotiations between Iran and the United States continue over a possible agreement aimed at a permanent truce.
Speaking during a visit to the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster, Pezeshkian said Tehran's position on nuclear weapons had remained unchanged since the era of former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini.
“During the era of our martyred Imam [Khomeini], we declared - and we declare again now - that we are ready to reassure the world that we are not seeking nuclear weapons or instability in the region,” Pezeshkian told state television.
The remarks came amid ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington following recent comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting that the two sides were nearing an agreement.
Trump said late Saturday that Washington and Tehran are close to reaching an agreement and the Strait of Hormuz “will be opened.”
He said he spoke earlier Saturday with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain regarding a draft proposal Iran submitted earlier in the day aimed at turning the Pakistan-mediated ceasefire that halted the war in April into a permanent truce.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that a deal to end the war with Iran could materialise “today,” while expressing cautious optimism about the state of negotiations. “We thought we might have some news last night, maybe today, I wouldn't read too much into it,” Rubio said in New Delhi, referring to the potential agreement.
Pezeshkian also stressed that Tehran would not back down on what he described as the country’s national dignity during negotiations with Washington.
“We and our negotiators will by no means compromise on the dignity and honor of the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, the American news website Axios reported that a draft agreement under discussion could include a 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and permission for Iran to resume oil exports.
The US and Israel launched a massive aerial campaign on February 28. Tehran responded by firing thousands of drones and missiles across the region before the two sides agreed to a ceasefire on April 8.