Iran’s Pezeshkian under fire for backing renewed talks with US in Tucker Carlson interview

A day after stating he saw “no problem” in resuming indirect talks with the US over Tehran’s nuclear programme, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday faced backlash from critics who accused him of being “too soft” in response to last month’s attacks on the country, according to a report.

In an interview with US conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson on Monday, when asked about the possibility of engaging with US officials again, Pezeshkian said, “We see no problem in reentering the negotiations.”

However, in the same vein he said “how are we going to trust the United States again?”

The Iranian leader cited concerns over Israeli military actions as a key obstacle to trust-building.

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“We reenter the negotiations; then how can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks, the Israeli regime will not be given the permission (by the US) again to attack us?” he asked.

His remarks came less than a month after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on June 13, killing senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists.

However, his remarks about resuming talks with the US was met with sharp criticism.

“Have you forgotten that these same Americans, along with the Zionists, used the negotiations to buy time and prepare for the attack?” The Sun quoted an editorial in the hardline Kayhan newspaper, a longtime opponent of engagement with the West, as saying.

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The US, which had been in talks with Iran since April 12, joined Israel in carrying out its own strikes on June 22, targeting Iranian nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.

The conservative Javan daily also took aim at Pezeshkian, saying his remarks appeared “a little too soft”.

“We believe the real meaning of a conversation with an American presenter is conveyed when the words reflect the public’s anger and total distrust of America,“ The Sun quoted Javan daily as saying.

In contrast, the reformist Ham Mihan newspaper praised Pezeshkian’s “positive approach”.

“This interview should have been conducted a long time ago,“ it wrote, adding that “Iranian officials have unfortunately long been absent from the international and American media landscape.”

Meanwhile, Iranian officials said that the Israeli strikes killed at least 1,060 people during the 12-day war. In retaliation, Israel was targeted by waves of drone and missile attacks, which authorities say resulted in at least 28 deaths.

A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in effect since June 24.

With inputs from agencies