Iran willing to end war if guarantees prevent future attacks: Pezeshkian

 Iran is signalling it wants a way out of the war but not without safeguards. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran is willing to end the conflict with the United States and Israel, but only if it gets credible guarantees that the attacks will not happen again, according to AFP.

Speaking during a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa, Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated Iran's position that any resolution must include safeguards against future attacks.

"We possess the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met, especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression," he said, according to a statement from his office.

EUROPE URGES DE-ESCALATION

Following the call, Antonio Costa warned that the situation in the Middle East remains "extremely dangerous" and called on Iran to scale back its actions. In a post on X, he said, "To de-escalate the situation, I urged Iran to stop the unacceptable attacks on countries in the region and to engage positively on the diplomatic track, notably with the UN to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

Meanwhile, the Iranian President lashed out at the US. According to Al Jazeera, Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of undermining diplomacy. He claimed that Iran was attacked while negotiations were under way. He said the country had been targeted twice during talks, arguing this showed Washington's lack of commitment to a diplomatic solution.

He also blamed boiling tensions in the Strait of Hormuz on "American-Zionist hostile actions", while criticising European countries for a biased stance against Iran.

DIPLOMACY ON, BUT TRUST REMAINS LOW

Even as Iran questions the sincerity of diplomacy, the Donald Trump administration continues to say that talks are ongoing. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said negotiations to end the war are "very real" and "gaining strength."

However, he warned that the coming days would be critical, saying, "The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it." He also refused to rule out the possibility of deploying ground troops.

The White House echoed this dual approach of pressure and diplomacy. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said discussions are progressing, adding, "Despite all of the public posturing you hear from the regime and false reporting, talks are continuing and going well. What is said publicly is, of course, much different than what's being communicated to us privately."