TEHRAN – In an interview NBC aired on Wednesday based on its “independent translation” of Masoud Pezeshkian’s remarks, the Iranian president said Iran is always open to dialogue, but what obscures its efforts is Washington's lack of commitment to its agreements. 

“The problem we have is not in dialogue," Pezeshkian said. "It’s in the commitments that arise from talk and dialogue that we’ll have to commit to. 

Iran and the P+1 group of countries (the United States, UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China) signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. The agreement limited Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the termination of sanctions.

In 2018, however, Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and re-imposed sanctions. Iran began to scale back on some of its own commitments in 2020 after European signatories to the JCPOA also scrapped the pact in practice.

“We upheld all the commitments that we had to commit to,” Pezeshkian told NBC. “But unfortunately, it was the other party that did not live up to its promises and obligations.”

When asked about incoming U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, Pezeshkian expressed hope for peace.

He acknowledged the long-standing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, noting, "Ever since the very beginning, the U.S. has tried to topple Iran."

He urged Trump to contribute to peace rather than bloodshed.

On the topic of potential Israeli military strikes against Iran, Pezeshkian asserted that Iran is not looking for war, but would firmly respond to every aggression. 

"We do not fear war, but we do not seek it," he said. He expressed hope that an attack would not occur, as it would be detrimental to all parties involved.

Pezeshkian addressed the accusations of Iran seeking to manufacture nuclear weapons, dismissing them as a scheme to fabricate a pretext for conflict.

He reiterated that Iran's actions have been peaceful and that the tensions serve no party's interests.

When questioned about Iran's position in the region, Pezeshkian refuted claims that Iran had been significantly weakened.

He emphasized that Iran is more coherent, robust, and secure compared to the previous year.

In response to allegations of a plot to assassinate Donald Trump, Pezeshkian denied any such plan, calling it a scheme to feed into Iranophobia.

When asked if there was ever an Iranian plot to kill Trump, the President firmly stated, "Never, by no means."