BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran will not back down from defending its legitimate rights, and that dialogue with the United States does not mean surrender, Trend reports.
“Dialogue does not mean surrender. The Islamic Republic of Iran will under no circumstances retreat from the legitimate rights of the nation and the country. We will serve the people and defend Iran’s interests and dignity with all our strength,” he wrote on X.
Meanwhile, as no tangible progress was made in the nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, the situation escalated on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched military airstrikes against Iran. In retaliation, Iran initiated missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and U.S. installations in the region. Following these developments, a two-week ceasefire agreement was brokered on April 7 through Pakistan's mediation. However, during subsequent talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad on April 11, no consensus was reached.
In addition, on April 21, U.S. President Donald Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire until Iran submits its proposal and the negotiations are concluded in one way or another.
