The Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking to the Islamic Consultative Assembly, said he had originally backed negotiations with the US but ultimately deferred to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's stance against participation in talks.
"I believed it was better to engage in dialogue, but when the leader said we will not negotiate with the US, I said, 'We will not negotiate with the US, period,'" Pezeshkian said during his address to parliament in Tehran.
He emphasized that the Iranian government must align with the position of Khamenei on this issue. Khamenei, the country's ultimate decision-maker, rejected the idea of talks with President Donald Trump last month, calling them "unwise, unintelligent, and undignified."
In a speech during the impeachment session of Economy Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati, Pezeshkian described the challenges his administration faced upon taking office.
"When we took over the government, there was an imbalance in water, gas, electricity, and money," he said, referring to shortages in the country. Critics of Hemmati's economic policy blame his leadership for the soaring dollar exchange rate, rising food prices, and general inflation. The US dollar surged to 940,000 rials, placing severe strain on households and businesses.
Addressing broader geopolitical issues, Pezeshkian likened the current situation to wartime conditions, citing incidents such as the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during the early days of his government, and developments in Syria and Lebanon.
