Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has firmly rejected claims that his country attempted to assassinate U.S. President-elect Donald Trump after two alleged assassination attempts in 2024.
In a recent interview with NBC News, Pezeshkian denied any such plans, stating, “We have never attempted this [the assassination bid on Trump] to begin with and we never will.”
This interview, aired just days before Trump’s inauguration, comes after the U.S. Department of Justice charged an Iranian individual in connection with an alleged plot orchestrated by Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to assassinate the then-Republican candidate.
The plot was foiled by U.S. law enforcement before it could be carried out.
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Trump had suggested that Iran might have been involved in the attempts on his life, which took place in September while he was golfing in Florida and in July during a rally in Pennsylvania.
However, no evidence linking Iran to these incidents has been found.
Pezeshkian also defended Iran’s nuclear program, asserting it is peaceful and that the country is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
He warned Trump against taking actions that could lead to war, emphasizing that Iran would respond to any aggression but does not seek conflict.
He also expressed hope that Trump would contribute to regional and global peace rather than escalate tensions.
Regarding potential talks with the U.S., Pezeshkian stated that Iran is open to dialogue, but stressed that the issue lies with the lack of commitment to past agreements, particularly the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from the U.S. side.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, also noted that discussions with European powers are ongoing, with a serious intention to resume nuclear negotiations.
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