Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday rejected accusations that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons, insisting that his government remains willing to negotiate with the United States despite mounting tensions and the possibility of renewed American military action.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on the sidelines of a United Nations biodiversity summit in Yerevan, Armenia.
“Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons, and we consider the malicious propaganda against our country to be lies," Pezeshkian said, according to a statement issued by his office.
The Iranian president also criticized Washington's sanctions policy, accusing the United States of attempting to pressure Tehran into accepting its demands.
“We have always been ready for dialogue. They think they can force us to surrender, but we will not bow to coercion," he said, describing the American sanctions as “unjustifiable and inhumane."
During the meeting, Pezeshkian also called for stronger bilateral relations with Georgia.
His appeal came several weeks after Georgia suspended aviation connections between the two countries following US sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines.
Pezeshkian's comments come as indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain stalled and US President Donald Trump continues to raise the possibility of additional military strikes against Iran.
Last Thursday, Trump announced on Truth Social that the United States would refrain from launching further attacks against Iranian targets until after November 3.
However, speaking to reporters on Monday, the President indicated that his administration's decisions concerning Iran would not be dictated by the election calendar.
Trump adopted a more confrontational tone during a campaign rally in Alaska on Tuesday night, warning that additional American military action could be forthcoming.
"Oh, wait till you see what we do to Iran. We're going to do a number. Wait till you see," Trump told supporters.
"They're just waiting. They're waiting. Wait till you see what we do to Iran, because we've sort of had it. You know, we've had it," he continued.
The President also reaffirmed his determination to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, referring to the damage inflicted on Iranian nuclear facilities during previous military operations.
"But, you know, it doesn't matter. The big thing is they were not going to have a nuclear weapon, and they won't. That's buried under thousands of tons of rock," Trump declared.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)