Iran not seeking nuclear weapons and ‘ready for dialogue’, Pezeshkian says

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Friday that Iran has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons and is prepared for diplomatic discussions. Pezeshkian expressed this sentiment during talks with Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, held at the Convention on Biological Diversity summit in Yerevan, Armenia. The Iranian leader dismissed false allegations against his nation, stating they are "lies."

Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran has always been open to dialogue, warning that coercion would not force Tehran to submit. He strongly condemned the unjustifiable and inhumane US sanctions imposed on Iran, accusing the United States of attempting to force the country into surrender. Pezeshkian made these remarks during his meeting with Kobakhidze, weeks after Iran suspended direct flights to Georgia following Tbilisi's decision to comply with US sanctions on Iranian airlines.

In addition to condemning US sanctions, Pezeshkian called for strengthened ties between Iran and Georgia, highlighting the potential for increased cooperation between the two nations. Georgia's Civil Aviation Agency had announced last month that it would comply with the US sanctions regime, but Kobakhidze maintained that Tbilisi was not imposing its own bilateral sanctions on Tehran.