Iran’s president says talks with an “enemy” that breaks commitments are meaningless
Version 2: Yicai has now carried the president’s remarks as well, matching the account previously reported by Jiemian and the headline from Xinhua; no new facts about the event itself emerged.
In short
Iranian President Pezeshkian said on October 5 that negotiating with an “enemy” that constantly pressures, sanctions and breaks promises is “meaningless”, according to a statement from the Iranian presidential office. He made the remarks in Tehran while meeting visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, and said the US attacking Iran and then offering to negotiate shows “deceptive behavior”. Iran’s foreign minister separately told Mirzoyan that Iran will defend its interests but has not hesitated to use diplomacy to prevent escalation, while briefing him on West Asia and the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iranian President Pezeshkian said on October 5 that negotiating with an “enemy” that constantly applies pressure and sanctions and repeatedly breaks promises is “meaningless”, according to a statement from the Iranian presidential office. He made the remarks in the Iranian capital, Tehran, while meeting visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Pezeshkian said the US attacked Iran and then said it was willing to negotiate, which he described as a reflection of its “deceptive behavior”. He said Iran has repeatedly proved its sincerity on nuclear activities and has accepted International Atomic Energy Agency supervision, and that in a recent speech to the UN General Assembly he said Iran “is ready for dialogue and verification in the nuclear field”. [ 2 , 3 ]
In a separate statement, Iran’s foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Araghchi met Mirzoyan on the same day and said Iran will “firmly” defend its national interests and security, but has never hesitated to use diplomatic means to prevent escalation. During the meeting, Araghchi briefed Mirzoyan on the latest developments in West Asia, especially the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. [ 2 ]
Coverage differed in scope: Xinhua carried only a headline on the president’s statement, while Jiemian and Yicai published detailed reports, both citing CCTV News; Jiemian’s account is the only one among them that includes the foreign minister’s remarks and his briefing on the Strait of Hormuz. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The remarks indicate that Iran’s president rejects talks conducted under pressure, even as its foreign minister says diplomacy remains an option to prevent escalation. The meeting with Armenia’s foreign minister and the briefing on the Strait of Hormuz point to continued regional diplomacy around a waterway central to global energy shipping.
Key facts
- Iranian President Pezeshkian said on October 5 that negotiating with an “enemy” that constantly pressures, sanctions and breaks promises is “meaningless”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- According to a statement from the Iranian presidential office, Pezeshkian made the remarks in Tehran while meeting visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Pezeshkian said that the US attacking Iran and then saying it is willing to negotiate is a reflection of its “deceptive behavior”. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Pezeshkian said Iran has repeatedly proved its sincerity on nuclear activities and accepted IAEA supervision, and that he said in a recent UN General Assembly speech that Iran is ready for dialogue and verification in the nuclear field. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Foreign Minister Araghchi met Mirzoyan on October 5 and said Iran will “firmly” defend its national interests and security, while never having hesitated to use diplomacy to prevent escalation. [ 2 ]
- Araghchi briefed Mirzoyan on the latest developments in West Asia, especially the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the foreign ministry statement. [ 2 ]
- Xinhua carried only a headline on the president’s statement, while Jiemian and Yicai published fuller reports attributed to CCTV News and to Iranian presidential and foreign ministry statements. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Iranian President Pezeshkian said that negotiating with an “enemy” that constantly pressures, sanctions and breaks promises is “meaningless”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Pezeshkian made the remarks in Tehran on October 5 during a meeting with visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, according to a statement from the Iranian presidential office. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Pezeshkian said the US attacked Iran and then claimed a willingness to negotiate, which he described as “deceptive behavior”. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Pezeshkian said Iran has repeatedly demonstrated sincerity in its nuclear activities and accepted IAEA supervision, and that he said at the UN General Assembly that Iran is ready for dialogue and verification in the nuclear field. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Foreign Minister Araghchi’s remarks on defending Iran’s interests and on using diplomacy to prevent escalation, and his briefing to Mirzoyan on West Asia and the Strait of Hormuz. These details appear only in Jiemian’s report, which cites a statement from Iran’s foreign ministry; Yicai and Xinhua do not carry them.
- What specific US actions the president was referring to when he said the US attacked Iran and then sought talks. The reports give no details of the actions or their timing.
- The purpose or outcome of the meeting between Pezeshkian and Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan beyond the reported remarks. The documents describe the remarks but do not state any agreement, decision or follow-up.
- Whether any Iran-US negotiations are planned or under way. The documents mention a claimed US willingness to negotiate but report no scheduled talks.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Xinhua publishes a headline reporting that Iran’s president said talks with an “enemy” that constantly breaks promises are meaningless. [ 1 ]
- Jiemian publishes a detailed report on Pezeshkian’s October 5 remarks in Tehran with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, his criticism of US “deceptive behavior”, his nuclear statements, and Foreign Minister Araghchi’s remarks and briefing on West Asia and the Strait of Hormuz. [ 2 ]
- Yicai publishes a report on the same remarks by Pezeshkian, covering his meeting with Mirzoyan, the “deceptive behavior” comment and his statements on nuclear dialogue and verification. [ 3 ]