‘Who is he to deprive a nation ‌of its legal rights?’: Pezeshkian slams Trump for opposing Tehran’s nuclear programme

Amid the ongoing speculation over the second round of US-Iran peace talks, the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised Donald Trump, saying the US president has no justification to deprive Iran of what he described as its lawful nuclear rights.

In remarks reported by the Iranian Student News Agency, Pezeshkian said Washington continued to clash with Tehran over nuclear issues, but insisted that Iran’s position was grounded in its rights. “The US president says Iran should not make use of its nuclear rights, but he does not answer for what crime,” Pezeshkian was quoted as saying. “Who is he, after all, to deprive a nation of its legal rights?” he questioned.

He added that Iran was not seeking to escalate tensions. “Iran is not seeking to expand the war and has not started any conflict and will not do so. We have not attacked any country, and under the current circumstances we have no intention of attacking any side. We are only engaged in legitimate self-defence,” he said.

Despite this assertion, Iran has carried out attacks across the region during the ongoing conflict, including strikes reported in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Turkey, as well as the British overseas territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia and the West Bank. Other alleged activity has been reported in Azerbaijan, with maritime targets said to include Thai-flagged vessels.

Pezeshkian also condemned attacks on civilians and scientific institutions. “The assassination of scientists, attacks on scientific centres, targeting innocent people and the killing of 168 schoolchildren have no justification, and no free human being in the world accepts such behaviour,” he said.

Second round of peace talks?

Meanwhile, two Pakistani security sources told Al Jazeera that a new round of negotiations between the US and Iran is likely to take place before Friday (April 24). Speaking on condition of anonymity, they cited the arrival of two US C-17 Globemaster aircraft at Noor Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, as well as heightened security measures in the Pakistani capital.