Hardliner says US unlikely to respond to Pezeshkian's ‘pacifist’ comments

A hardline academic in Tehran, frequently featured on Iranian state TV as a US politics expert, has claimed that the United States is unlikely to respond to Pezeshkian's “pacifist remarks” during his visit to the UN headquarters in New York.

The conservative Nameh News website quoted Tehran University lecturer Foad Izadi, who criticized certain Iranian politicians for repeatedly advocating negotiations with the United States, despite the lack of any signals from US officials indicating interest in dialogue.

Nameh News argued that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have dramatically changed the international landscape compared to when former President Hassan Rouhani attended the 2013 UNGA meeting, winning over American hearts and minds with a well-calculated publicity move. The website quoted Tehran University lecturer Foad Izadi, who noted that President Joe Biden referred to the 'Iranian threat' in his UNGA speech, and claimed that US presidents have consistently spoken against the Islamic Republic for the past 45 years.

Izadi went on to criticize those who believed Pezeshkian could revive the 2015 nuclear talks during his visit to New York, arguing that they have demonstrated a lack of true expertise. He pointed out that White House National Security Advisor John Kirby has already made it clear that, despite Pezeshkian’s calls for normalizing Iran’s relations with the West and even Israel, there is no possibility of negotiations with Iran.

The hardline academic noted that the negative reactions from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller and President Joe Biden following Pezeshkian's pacifist remarks made the situation clear. Izadi further claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris’s stance on Iran is aligned with Biden’s, and referenced former President Trump’s actions, specifically the assassination of IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani. Izadi concluded, “No US official has made even a half-hearted positive comment about Iran."

Hardliners at the Iranian state TV have been using their influence to edit out Pezeshkian's positive comments about ties with the West from his speeches. Asr Iran website noted that news bulletins on the day after the speech did not broadcast key parts of Pezeshkian's UNGA speech.

According to Asr Iran, the state TV only aired the portion of the Iranian president's speech in which he condemned Israel's atrocities and criticized the United States for imposing sanctions on Iran and deploying forces in the region. The report noted that even this segment of the speech was broadcast half an hour into the main news bulletin.

There was also no mention of Pezeshkian's comments in which he said during a meeting with US media representatives: "We have no war to wage against any country."

Meanwhile, Nameh News quoted 'reformist' commentator Esmail Gerami Moqaddam, who remarked that 'hardliners are upset by Pezeshkian's pacifist remarks.' He claimed that Pezeshkian's statements have garnered positive international reactions, demonstrating to the world that Iran is pursuing peace and justice. Nameh News further asserted that these remarks have left Israel increasingly isolated in the international community.

Gerami Moqaddam said: "Hardliners in Iran are angry about Pezeshkian's pacifist stances because they want Iran to be sanctioned and even enter into a war as they benefit from sanctions. They welcome tension while the new government wants to have good ties with both East and West."

The politician said: "Through dialogue we can even make the United States to step back from its positions, but both Israel and Iran's hardliners do not want that." Iranians want the sanctions to be lifted and that is why they voted for Pezeshkian as their president, Gerami Moqaddam said.