Pezeshkian: “the cowards ruined” the interim deal, but Iran’s president urges a new attempt and a way out of “neither war nor peace”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian openly blamed Washington for the collapse of the interim agreement with Tehran, while leaving the door open to a new round. “We were negotiating and the cowards (the Americans) ruined everything… I still believe we must go and finish it,” he said in remarks aired on Saturday, October 24 by Iranian state television, as recorded by Asharq Al-Awsat and Iran International.

The Iranian president’s remark comes as Washington raises its tone. Donald Trump on Friday left open the possibility of “another little Epic Fury”, while US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the blockade of Iranian ports could continue for the foreseeable future, in the hope that Iran will return to meaningful talks on its nuclear programme. The US side has drawn up, according to the New York Times, plans for new strikes after the November 3 midterm elections.

“Neither war nor peace”

The same morning, in a speech at the launch of the new population and housing census, Pezeshkian turned to domestic matters. According to the text published by IRNA, he said the country must get out of the “neither war nor peace” situation, to which he attributed the fact that many of his fellow citizens are now struggling to make a living. He recalled that the “martyred leader of the Revolution”, Ali Khamenei, also asked for this pending situation to end, because “planning cannot be done under conditions of uncertainty”. “We must know what we want to do and how we will solve the issues,” he added.

In the same speech the Iranian president spoke of a fair distribution of resources, of benefits that also reach those who do not need them, and of the fact that one person’s right cannot be taken away and given to another through pressure, acquaintances or friendships. He called on political factions to leave aside disputes and work together, arguing that “we no longer have room to mark time”.

Tehran’s line on talks is not new. On October 21 Pezeshkian wrote on X that threats and sanctions must be lifted in practice for dialogue to take place, noting that one cannot increase pressure every day, close the roads of cooperation and at the same time talk about negotiations. “Talking in the language of threat and pressure is meaningless,” he said.

Next stop: Moscow

The Iranian president’s next diplomatic step is Moscow. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Pezeshkian will meet Vladimir Putin next week, and he is expected in Moscow for the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum on October 27. Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, described the participation as a step for energy diplomacy and multilateralism. The two leaders last met on October 9 in Turkmenistan, when Putin said he was ready to do whatever he can to end the war.