Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that it is up to the United States to decide whether to end the war, while insisting that Iran does not want to continue fighting and is ready to resolve differences through dialogue.
In an interview with Fox News, Pezeshkian urged the parties concerned to settle their disputes through negotiation. He blamed Israel for "helping provoke the conflict" but stressed that Iran has no desire to keep fighting.
His remarks came one day after he addressed the UN General Assembly, where he vowed that Iran would not surrender to the United States. In Thursday's interview, the Iranian president also reiterated that Iran does not seek a nuclear bomb at all, and said Tehran is willing to lower its uranium enrichment levels and is open to "outside verification" as part of an effort to ease nuclear tensions.
Pezeshkian said Iran never sought war, describing the conflict as having been "imposed" on his country. Asked about the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with U.S. President Donald Trump in June, he said the two sides "did reach an agreement" and that Iran is willing to move forward on that basis.
The United States and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran on Feb 28, triggering retaliatory operation from the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC). On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a MoU on ending the war in the region on all fronts. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within 60 days, a deadline that expired on Aug 17, to reach a final agreement, but the talks' fate remains unclear amid recent escalations.
Iran's president says war's end rests with US, denies seeking nuclear arms
A Mid-Autumn symphony concert celebrating shared cultural heritage and family ties across the Taiwan Strait was held Thursday evening in Beijing, bringing together traditional Chinese music, opera, popular classics and contemporary orchestral works.
Jointly hosted by the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League Central Committee and the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, the concert opened with "Lunar Overture", with flowing orchestral melodies evoking the poetic beauty of a Mid-Autumn night.
Throughout the evening, traditional Chinese instrumental music, Chinese opera, classic pop songs and modern symphonic works were woven together, expressing affection for the homeland, bonds between compatriots separated by the sea, and a shared aspiration for family and national reunification.
"We selected some well-known pieces that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have long been familiar with, such as 'The Moon Represents My Heart' and 'The Girl of Alishan.' Through these pieces that our audience can hear, feel and resonate with, we hope they will experience the fact that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same roots and cultural heritage. We aim to build a cultural bridge across the strait through art, bring hearts closer together, and ultimately express our shared wish for national reunification," said Zhang Gaoxiang, chief director of the concert.
"When that stirring music began to play, I felt that we really are one family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, that our cultures have been passed down through the same lineage, and I could strongly feel a sense of pride in our nation," said an audience member from Taiwan.
Mid-Autumn symphony concert in Beijing celebrates shared cultural roots across Taiwan Strait
