Iranian president writes to Americans: "Continuing confrontation is meaningless"

[Financial News] Masoud Pezeshkian, president of Iran, signaled a desire to end the war on the 1st (local time), saying, "Continuing down the path of confrontation is more costly and more meaningless than ever."
According to Iranian outlets including Press TV, Masoud Pezeshkian said in an open letter addressed to the American people that "the choice between confrontation and communication is a realistic and crucial issue, and its outcome will determine the future of generations to come."
Masoud Pezeshkian stressed, "Iranians harbor no hostility toward other countries, including the United States of America (US), Europe, and their neighbors."
He argued, "The perception that portrays the Islamic Republic of Iran as a threat is a product of great powers’ need to manufacture enemies in order to maintain military superiority and dominate strategic markets."
He went on, "In this context, the US has concentrated the largest number of troops, bases, and military capabilities around the Islamic Republic of Iran," adding, "Naturally, any country facing such a situation will seek to strengthen its defenses."
Masoud Pezeshkian noted that "relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the US were not hostile from the very beginning," and listed turning points where tensions escalated as Washington intervened to contain Tehran, including the 1953 coup in Iran and the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s.
He cautioned, "We must not underestimate the destructive and inhumane impact that sanctions, war, and aggression have on the lives of Iranians," adding, "Recent airstrikes have had a profound effect on people’s lives, attitudes, and perspectives."
He continued, "This raises a fundamental question: whose interests in the US does this war truly serve?" and remarked, "Launching two attacks in the middle of negotiations was a destructive choice by the US government."
Masoud Pezeshkian also asked, "Has the US embarked on this invasion under the influence and direction of the Israeli regime?" and "Is Israel fabricating the threat posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to divert global attention from its own crimes against Palestine?"
In the letter, Masoud Pezeshkian assigned responsibility for starting the war to the US, yet refrained from using harsh or inflammatory language.
His tone appears aimed at exploring the possibility of a ceasefire and an end to the war through negotiations.
However, it remains unclear whether Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, or the military leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) coordinated the message with Masoud Pezeshkian in advance.
Considered a centrist-reformist figure, Masoud Pezeshkian also said in a phone call the previous day with António Costa, president of the European Union (EU) Council, "If the necessary conditions are met, especially if there is a guarantee that aggression will not be repeated, we have the will to do what is needed to end this conflict."
On the same day, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, "The new regime’s President of Iran just asked the United States for a ceasefire," adding that he is "far less radical, and much smarter, than his predecessors."
whywani@fnnews.com Hong Chae-wan Reporter