Israel holds drills simulating Iranian attacks on air bases - Kan News

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday the country remains open to reaching a deal with the United States, but warned Tehran will continue on its own course if Washington refuses to engage on equal terms.

"In negotiations with the United States, we are ready to reach an agreement within a defined framework and while safeguarding national interests. However, if they are unwilling to negotiate with us on equal footing, we will continue on our own path," Pezeshkian said.

"As the Supreme Leader has said, we are neither optimistic nor pessimistic."

"We are not looking for conflict," he added, "but we also do not accept force or bullying."

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized the necessity of a strategic relationship with Russia based on a realistic view, regardless of the state of Iran's relations with the West.

He said Tehran's main problem with Russia is a lack of understanding of that country. "We have defined our relationship with Russia based on a mistaken perception of the world."

"We shouldn't expect that if we take a certain action in the Ukraine war, Russia will take the same action regarding our relationship with Israel," he said.

His comments came hours after Russian state news agency RIA reported that President Vladimir Putin had signed a law ratifying a 20-year strategic partnership treaty with Iran.

At a forum on the Iranian perspective of Russian historical developments, Zarif said that a strategic partnership with Russia should be pursued with "open eyes and a precise understanding of Russia."

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace canceled a planned virtual conversation with Iran’s foreign minister at its nuclear policy conference after his team requested changes limiting questions from the moderator and audience, the organization said on Saturday.

“The Iranian foreign minister’s team subsequently requested changes to the previously agreed format. These changes would have severely curtailed the ability of the moderator and the audience to question the foreign minister. As a result, Carnegie decided not to proceed with the session,” said Katelynn Vogt, Vice President for Communications at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in a statement sent to Iran International.

The event was organized by the Carnegie Nuclear Policy Program, one of the Endowment’s leading initiatives focused on arms control, deterrence, and nuclear diplomacy.

The dispute comes as Araghchi is due to lead the third round of talks with Washington after US President Donald Trump warned Iran to come to a nuclear deal of face military attack.

"This cancellation follows the organizer’s decision to alter the format of the keynote into a debate," Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York said.

The foreign minister has seldom given interviews or other public discussions with Western media outlets or organizations about Iran's disputed nuclear program.

Shortly after the cancelation, Araghchi released the text of a speech he had prepared for the event.

Tehran denies seeking a bomb but Western countries and Israel doubt their intentions.

Araghchi’s invitation to the event had sparked backlash on social media from several US politicians as well as Iranian activists and diaspora members.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and current head of advocacy group United Against a Nuclear Iran criticized the invitation, saying that American think tanks should not “normalize officials from a regime which has plotted to kill President Trump and other Americans.”

Iranian-British activist and actress Nazanin Boniadi said that the unexplained death in custody of a German-Iranian activist on death row last year represented state repression that should disqualify officials' from public discussions in the West.

"Jamshid Sharmahd, a US resident, was kidnapped, tortured, and executed by the Islamic Republic—the latest example of the regime Araghchi represents. When US academic and policy institutions platform such officials while ignoring their crimes, they discredit themselves," she said in a post on X.

However, a source at Carnegie said Monday the cancellation was not due to pressure from any foreign government or lobbying group.

"Iran requested a last-minute change to the Q&A session and sought to cancel the Q&A session, but Carnegie did not accept the change," the source said.

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace canceled a planned virtual conversation with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at its nuclear policy conference after his team requested changes limiting questions from the moderator and audience, the organization said on Saturday.

The dispute comes as Araghchi is due to lead the third round of talks with Washington after US President Donald Trump warned Iran to come to a nuclear deal of face military attack.

"This cancellation follows the organizer’s decision to alter the format of the keynote into a debate," Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York said.

The foreign minister has seldom given interviews or other public discussions with Western media outlets or organizations about Iran's disputed nuclear program.

Tehran denies seeking a bomb but Western countries and Israel doubt their intentions.

Araghchi’s invitation to the event had sparked backlash on social media from several US politicians as well as Iranian activists and diaspora members.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and current head of advocacy group United Against a Nuclear Iran criticized the invitation, saying that American think tanks should not “normalize officials from a regime which has plotted to kill President Trump and other Americans.”

Iranian-British activist and actress Nazanin Boniadi said that the unexplained death in custody of a German-Iranian activist on death row last year represented state repression that should disqualify officials' from public discussions in the West.

"Jamshid Sharmahd, a US resident, was kidnapped, tortured, and executed by the Islamic Republic—the latest example of the regime Araghchi represents. When US academic and policy institutions platform such officials while ignoring their crimes, they discredit themselves," she said in a post on X.

However, a source at Carnegie said Monday the cancellation was not due to pressure from any foreign government or lobbying group.

"Iran requested a last-minute change to the Q&A session and sought to cancel the Q&A session, but Carnegie did not accept the change," the source said.

A majority of Iranians want direct negotiations with the United States regarding the nuclear program, believing it would expedite progress and facilitate clearer communication, according to reformist politician Morteza Alviri.

Alviri expressed optimism about the ongoing indirect talks between Iran and the US, saying the reduced intervals between rounds as a sign of both sides' desire to resolve for an agreement. 

Alviri suggested that US President Donald Trump's focus on the nuclear issue could motivate a faster resolution. However, he cautioned Iranian diplomats against neglecting Europe, warning of the potential for the so-called snapback mechanism in mid-summer.