Iranian leader dismisses negotiations with Washington as pointless

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Monday, October 5, that holding talks with the United States was "meaningless," claiming Washington has used negotiations as a precursor to fresh strikes, as attempts to halt the Middle East conflict stayed deadlocked. "So far, they have attacked us three times after talks, and this shows that they are not seeking dialogue; rather, their goal is to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran," Pezeshkian said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. "With an enemy that every day resorts to assassination, sanctions, pressure and threats, and that breaks its commitments, negotiations are meaningless." His statement followed unsuccessful indirect discussions between Washington and Tehran on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, which did not yield progress. The conflict started in late February when the United States and Israel carried out unexpected strikes on Iran during nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran. In June, the fighting sides signed a memorandum of understanding setting out a path toward a lasting settlement. But Iranian assaults on ships in the Strait of Hormuz led the United States to restart military actions, leaving talks essentially frozen. Since then, Washington has reduced military activity and shifted toward economic coercion, refraining from hitting Iran after September 1. Pezeshkian's comments came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, October 4, that military force and additional sanctions would not bring the conflict to an end. "There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions," Araghchi said, promising a stronger defense if attacks resumed. He added that "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could stop the conflict. The United States and Israel have described the war as essential to stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, a goal Tehran has repeatedly rejected. Later, the war's center shifted to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure upended worldwide energy markets. Since hostilities began, Iran has tried to regulate traffic through the strategic waterway and has targeted vessels seeking to cross without its permission. The United States has enacted a reciprocal blockade on Iranian ports and has hit ships it says violate those measures. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, a tanker was attacked while trying to traverse the strait on Sunday, and another ship reversed course on Monday after Iranian forces warned of an assault.