Iran defends 'death to America' slogan, says not against US citizens but its leadership

Iran’s parliament clarified on Wednesday (July 16) that the chant “Death to America” is a rejection of US leadership and its history of global dominance, not a call for harm against American citizens.

“It means death to arrogance, death to Trump, and death to those who rule America,” lawmakers stated during Wednesday’s open session.

They noted the slogan has gained traction beyond Iran due to US actions involving “oppression, war, and interference.”

This comes after President Masoud Pezeshkian told American Conservative commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson that the phrase is often misinterpreted in the West.

“They don’t mean death to the people of the United States, or even to the officials,” Pezeshkian said. “They mean death to crime, death to killing and carnage, death to supporting killing others.”

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On Wednesday, Iran’s parliament declared that nuclear talks with the US should not resume until certain preconditions are met.

“When the US use negotiations as a tool to deceive Iran and cover up a sudden military attack by the Zionist regime (Israel), talks cannot be conducted as before. Preconditions must be set and no new negotiations can take place until they are fully met,” the statement read.

While the specific preconditions weren’t outlined, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has previously demanded guarantees against further attacks on Tehran.

Last month, Israel and the US struck Iran’s nuclear facilities, claiming they were part of a weapons programme, though Iran insists its nuclear efforts are for civilian use only.

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Before the 12-day air war, Tehran and Washington held five rounds of indirect talks through Oman, but US demands to end Iran’s uranium enrichment programme stalled progress.

Araqchi recently reaffirmed that Iran won’t accept a deal restricting its uranium enrichment or agree to discuss non-nuclear issues like its ballistic missile programme.

Earlier on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he was in no hurry to negotiate, claiming Iran’s nuclear sites are “obliterated.”

Still, the US, alongside three European nations, has set late August as a deadline for a potential agreement.