Iran president says US destroyed trust, slams ‘provocative rhetoric’

President Masoud Pezeshkian says Iran’s trust in the United States has been "completely destroyed" after two US and Israeli military strikes on Iran during negotiations, and called on Washington to halt "provocative" rhetoric and actions.

Pezeshkian briefed Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko during a telephone call on Thursday on the latest developments regarding Iran-US negotiations hosted in Islamabad, as well as aggressive US and Israeli violations of a ceasefire understanding.

"Efforts to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy with Iran's responsibility have always been on the agenda," Pezeshkian said.

"But during the negotiations, the United States and the Zionist regime attacked Iran twice, and there is a possibility of such actions being repeated – which has led to Iran's complete distrust of the United States."

Pezeshkian said Iran needs to see a halt to "inflammatory rhetoric" by US officials and "provocative actions" as a prerequisite for building Iranian confidence.

He urged Washington to demonstrate seriousness in pursuing negotiations aimed at a definitive end to the war and not repeating past experiences.

The Iranian president condemned the US and Israeli military aggression against the Islamic Republic, including the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution, a number of military commanders, senior state officials and civilians.

He also cited attacks on hospitals, schools, public and infrastructure facilities, as well as Iran's safeguarded peaceful nuclear installations, calling the actions contrary to international law and "clear instances of war crimes."

Pezeshkian thanked Lukashenko for Belarus's "principled and valuable" positions condemning the military aggression against Iran and expressing solidarity with the Iranian government and people.

Lukashenko, for his part, expressed concern over escalating tensions in West Asia and their security and economic consequences for the region and the world, while expressing hope that differences would be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.

"The absence of mutual trust means negotiations cannot lead to a durable outcome," Lukashenko said, stressing the importance of strengthening confidence-building measures between the parties.

The Belarusian president described Minsk's relations with Tehran as strategic and growing.

Pezeshkian, in turn, underscored the need to expand political, economic and cultural ties with Belarus, stating that Iran pursues an "active and balanced policy of engagement" with countries operating on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests.

Both presidents reviewed the latest state of bilateral relations and stressed the necessity of expanding cooperation within the framework of shared interests while strengthening political and economic consultations.

Separately, President Pezeshkian said that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports is effectively an “extension of military operations” by Washington, in spite of an ongoing ceasefire between the two sides.

“The world has witnessed Iran’s tolerance and conciliation. What is being done under the guise of a naval blockade is an extension of military operations against a nation paying the price for its resistance and independence,” he said on X.

“Continuation of this oppressive approach is intolerable.”

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