Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly that Iran is prepared to resolve its nuclear dispute with the West, while advocating for a peaceful end to Russia's conflict in Ukraine through dialogue.
Iran's clerical leadership is hopeful for a relaxation of US sanctions that have severely impacted the nation's economy. Pezeshkian stated, "We are prepared to engage with the participants of the 2015 nuclear deal. If the commitments of the deal are fully and sincerely implemented, further discussions on other matters can proceed."
Former President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and six global powers in 2018, reimposing stringent sanctions on Iran. Efforts to reinstate the pact have been unsuccessful. The 2015 accord, which Trump abandoned in 2018, limited Iran's uranium enrichment to 3.67% purity and its stockpile of this material to 202.8 kg—limits that Tehran has since significantly surpassed.
For Britain, France, and Germany, who remain part of the nuclear deal, there is a perception that Tehran's leadership will not alter its course, and that a comprehensive agreement encompassing both the nuclear program and Iran's geopolitical role is currently unattainable. The United States, its European allies, and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear program as a cover for efforts to develop weapon-making capabilities. Iran insists that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
Tehran's relations with the West have deteriorated since the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group attacked southern Israel on October 7 and as Tehran has intensified its support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Pezeshkian, a relatively moderate politician who assumed office in August with a promise of pragmatic foreign policy, condemned Iran's arch-foe Israel for what he termed "its genocide in Gaza." He emphasized, "It is crucial that the international community immediately... secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and put an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel in Lebanon, before it spreads across the region and the world."
An Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed a senior commander of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon on Tuesday, as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides heightened fears of a full-scale war. Pezeshkian reiterated, "We aspire for peace for all and have no intention of conflict with any country... Iran opposes war and stresses the necessity for an immediate halt to military conflict in Ukraine."
