In a significant declaration from Tehran on Wednesday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that his nation does not seek to develop a nuclear weapon. This assurance came ahead of potential discussions with the United States, with Pezeshkian even suggesting the possibility for American investments in Iran if a mutual agreement is reached.
This marks a notable shift from Iran’s post-2015 nuclear deal stance which limited U.S. corporate entry despite Iran’s interest in acquiring American aircraft. Pezeshkian emphasized Iran’s openness to U.S. economic participation, asserting that there is no objection to American investors entering the Iranian market, a nod to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s potential tacit approval.
Such a pronouncement might attract attention from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who initially withdrew from the nuclear agreement but now pursues a revised accord with Tehran. Pezeshkian, elected on a platform seeking Western engagement, mentioned forthcoming indirect negotiations between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff scheduled for Oman. Trump supports the direct dialogue path, which Iran has not entirely dismissed following preliminary discussions.
Reaffirming Iran’s peaceful ambitions, Pezeshkian stated, “We are not after a nuclear bomb,” encouraging further verification from Western powers. Historically, Iran has remained wary of U.S. influences. In 2015, Khamenei himself opposed American cultural, economic, and political encroachments within Iran, vowing strong opposition.
However, Trump’s willingness to renew talks has instilled optimism in Iran’s ailing economy, causing the rial, once plunging to over 1 million rials per dollar, to regain some ground to 990,000 rials per dollar. Iran’s economic hardship has exacerbated since the United States’ 2018 nuclear deal withdrawal, prompting crippling sanctions. In contrast, during the 2015 agreement, the rial was significantly stronger at 32,000 per dollar.
Interestingly, ahead of the prospective negotiations, Iran’s traditionally critical media showcased more supportive tones, which is unusual given its political editorial divisions. The hard-line publication Javan, associated with the Revolutionary Guard, editorialized that Iran might voluntarily scale back uranium enrichment without perceiving it as a concession, advocating that Iran expects U.S. sanctions relief and cessation of oppositional backing in return.
Pezeshkian’s address coincided with Iran’s National Nuclear Technology Day, historically a platform for demonstrating nuclear accomplishments. This year, however, the focus shifted to medicinal applications and other projects discounting military uses.
Conversely, skepticism remains within sections of Iran’s population against the U.S. engagement, exacerbated by resentment over Trump’s authorization of a drone strike that eliminated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in 2020, alongside ongoing narratives of assassination threats against Trump himself ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections.
A protest in Tehran drew hundreds who burned an effigy of the U.S. flag and chanted against America and Israel, reflecting lingering animosities. Demonstrators displayed contempt for civilian casualties in the Israel-Hamas conflict, questioning the merits of negotiating with perceived aggressors.
This ongoing dichotomy represents the delicate balance Iran faces as it navigates international diplomacy against entrenched domestic suspicion and historical grievances.