2026-07-21T15:28:29+00:00
Shafaq News- Tehran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that
negotiations with the United States have faced domestic criticism despite
achieving results beyond expectations, while accusing Washington of failing to
honor its commitments.
Speaking to reporters, Pezeshkian noted that “some internal
criticism had downplayed the achievements of the talks,” maintaining that the
negotiations had exceeded expectations.
“The memorandum of understanding focused on reopening the Strait
of Hormuz to oil exports, but the US side had not implemented the agreed terms.”
Addressing domestic affairs, Pezeshkian said Iran’s
“enemy” had waged a comprehensive campaign intended to create
internal pressure and trigger social collapse, clarifying that “national unity
and public cohesion had prevented those efforts from succeeding.”
The Iranian president added that the failure to achieve
military objectives had prompted the opposing side to return to dialogue.
Pezeshkian cited Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei stressing
during their meetings the need to end the current state of “neither war nor
peace.” He also revealed that his consultations with Khamenei had
increased in recent months and that decisions were made in line with the
Supreme Leader’s guidance.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday that
officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration are pushing to revive
discussions on pursuing “regime change” in Iran after diplomatic
efforts to contain tensions stalled.
According to the newspaper, the proposal includes
encouraging an internal uprising in Iran and reconsidering a previous Israeli
proposal to arm Kurdish opposition groups hostile to Tehran. The report said
some officials in the administration believe current political and economic
pressure has failed to achieve its objectives.
Tehran has become the central challenge in US foreign policy
as the confrontation between Iran and Israel continues and Washington has yet
to formulate a strategy capable of achieving its main goals, including
reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping without transit fees
and imposing restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program, according to the outlet.
The report also added that those objectives face significant
obstacles as Tehran insists on charging fees for vessels passing through the
Strait of Hormuz, a move it says would provide additional revenue and
strengthen its influence over global energy shipments.
Citing US officials, the newspaper said military options
remain limited because airstrikes have not achieved their intended objectives
and there is no political support for deploying ground forces. Retired US
General Barry McCaffrey estimated that any ground operation to seize control of
the Strait of Hormuz could require about 600,000 troops and last for a year.
The report also highlighted that continued Russian and
Chinese support could provide Iran with more advanced missile and drone
capabilities in the coming years, increasing potential threats to strategic
targets, including Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility and the US military base at
Diego Garcia.
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