Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Tehran is prepared to engage in dialogue and negotiations, but only on the basis of logic and within the framework of international law.

Speaking at a meeting with digital economy activists, Pezeshkian criticized Western demands on Iran, saying they seek to deny the country essential scientific capabilities and even the right to self-defense. "Let them come to the table with logic and within the framework of international laws. We are ready for dialogue," he said. "But they tell us: you cannot have this knowledge, you cannot even have the right to defend yourselves. We have told them a hundred times: who said we want to build a nuclear bomb? Any free and conscious person would never accept such insults."

The US' Unfair Demands

Pezeshkian’s remarks come as Iranian officials continue to accuse Washington of pushing for concessions that extend far beyond the nuclear file. According to Iranian negotiators and analysts, US proposals in recent rounds of indirect talks have included severe restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile program, limits on the range of its missiles, and demands to surrender or export enriched uranium stockpiles before receiving meaningful sanctions relief. Tehran argues that such conditions would strip Iran of its core defensive capabilities and leave the country vulnerable, especially as Western states continue supplying advanced weapons to "Israel."

These grievances have fueled Iran’s insistence on negotiating from a position of equality rather than pressure. Iranian officials have repeatedly said that any lasting agreement must include concrete guarantees of sanctions relief and assurances that Washington will not unilaterally withdraw from a future deal, as happened with the 2015 nuclear agreement. Without these guarantees, Tehran views the demands as coercive, one-sided, and incompatible with national sovereignty.

Rejecting Western Double-Standards

Highlighting what he described as double standards, Pezeshkian said Western governments call on Iran to negotiate its missile capabilities while continuing to arm "Israel." "They arm Israel over there, and here they tell us not to have missiles or defend ourselves. And whenever they want, they come and bomb us," he said.

He stressed that Iran seeks to live in peace and security but will not accept what he called attempts to degrade or weaken the country. "They are not supposed to impose their will on us. We are capable of building a strong and prosperous country and moving forward," he added.

The president also said the US stance on Iran's proposals regarding the nuclear file is "illogical and illegitimate," arguing it reflects a lack of willingness to resolve the issue through diplomacy and fair reasoning.

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