Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has warned the United States against what he described as coercive policies aimed at extracting concessions from Tehran, saying Iran will not submit to pressure or threats.

In a phone call on Tuesday with Iraq’s prime minister-designate Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, Pezeshkian said Iran remained open to dialogue based on international law but rejected any form of coercion, News.Az reports, citing Iran’s Press TV.

“The Islamic Republic is ready for any form of dialogue within the framework of international law, but based on its beliefs and convictions, it will never submit to coercion,” he said.

“If they speak to us with logic, dialogue is possible; but the language of threats and bullying will lead nowhere,” he added.

Pezeshkian said the United States was pursuing a policy of “maximum pressure” while at the same time expecting Iran to negotiate and accept unilateral demands, describing this as “an impossible equation”.

He said one of the key issues in the region was ending what he called “warmongering” and external pressure against Iran and other countries. He also argued that previous instances of what he described as “unprovoked aggression” had taken place while diplomatic contacts with Washington were ongoing.

The Iranian president reiterated longstanding accusations that the US continues to make claims about Iran’s nuclear programme, while simultaneously targeting Iranian authorities who have rejected the development of nuclear weapons.

Pezeshkian rejected US demands for Iran to abandon nuclear technology altogether, saying Iran should not be deprived of such capabilities and noting that its scientific progress in the field had been achieved through years of national effort.

He also said Iran was ready to reach understandings with regional Muslim countries, establish common frameworks and resolve disputes through dialogue.

Turning to Iraq, Pezeshkian congratulated al-Zaidi on his designation as prime minister and reaffirmed Iran’s readiness to expand relations with Baghdad, inviting him to visit Tehran on his first official trip.

For his part, al-Zaidi said Iran’s strength was not limited to the Islamic Republic alone but also supported Muslims across the region. He said Iraq benefited from Iran’s role in the fight against Islamic State militants and described bilateral ties as “two bodies with a single shared soul”.

He added that Iraq would seek to further deepen relations with Iran across political, economic, security and regional fields.

Al-Zaidi also said differences between Iran and the United States could only be resolved through dialogue, and expressed Iraq’s readiness to host talks between Tehran and Washington if required.

News.Az