TEHRAN, Feb 12– The “wall of distrust” created by the West and U.S. excessive demands impede the progress of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said.
He made the remarks while delivering a speech at the celebrations in the capital to mark the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Pezeshkian said Iran does not seek nuclear weapons and is “ready for any verification of that.”
“We believe that the region’s problems can be resolved only by regional countries, not foreign states,” he said, adding that Iran will never surrender to excessive demands and aggression.
Meanwhile, Pezeshkian said Iran is treading the path of diplomacy with sincerity, and is interacting with countries in West Asia to ensure regional peace.
On the recent unrest in the country, Pezeshkian said his administration is making all-out efforts to resolve the Iranian people’s problems, noting that Iran needs internal unity more than anything else.
He said Iran should gain access to international markets, specially Muslim and neighboring countries’ markets, to accelerate domestic economic development, adding that the country is also strengthening its relations within the frameworks of regional and international contracts and treaties.
Also attending the Wednesday celebrations in the capital, Ali Shamkhani, senior advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Iran’s missile capability is a red line and a non-negotiable issue.
According to a report by Iran’s Nour News, Shamkhani said any military attack, even limited, will be considered the start of a war, the consequence of which will “reach a scope beyond the military dimension” and “affect the lives of people in different parts of the world.”
He said the logical path for Washington is to seriously pursue the path of dialogue instead of threats.
Last week, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that Shamkhani had been appointed as Secretary of the country’s Defense Council, which was established in August 2025 to review Iran’s defense plans and the improvement of the Iranian armed forces’ capabilities in a centralized manner.
