Pezeshkian: US must show it does not intend to overthrow Iran’s government

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told CBS News that to overcome the distrust between the two countries, the United States must show that it does not intend to overthrow Iran’s government.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the distrust created by the United States must be overcome before any deal. Speaking to CBS’s Face the Nation in New York, where he attended the UN General Assembly, he said Washington “needs to show that it does not intend to overthrow our government or our administration.”

Referring to the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the war, Pezeshkian said: “Imagine someone came and martyred your supreme leader. And then, not abide by everything you had agreed upon.”

“Every day, they increase the sanctions against us. Every day, they threaten us,” he said. “As long as they don’t cease doing what they’re imposing on us every day, it’s difficult to trust them.” On Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week, he said: “If they operate according to that framework, I think all of us will abide by it.”

The interview, recorded on September 25, took place before The Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump had rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal. A 60-day ceasefire between the two countries collapsed in July.