Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian firmly rejected criticism from US President Donald Trump, declaring that Iran would not "bow to any bully" in response to Trump's remarks made during his ongoing three-day tour of the Gulf region, Al-Jazeera reported.
In a nationally televised address, Pezeshkian responded defiantly to Trump’s comments made earlier at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh. “He [Trump] thinks he can come here, chant slogans, and scare us. For us, martyrdom is far sweeter than dying in bed. You came to frighten us? We will not bow to any bully,” the Iranian president said.
Earlier in the day, Trump, speaking at the GCC summit, reiterated his hardline stance on Tehran, stating that while he remained open to diplomacy, Iran must “stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
The remarks come as the United States and Iran continue indirect negotiations, with Oman mediating four rounds of talks aimed at reviving a nuclear agreement.
Later on Wednesday, during a state dinner in Doha, Trump again expressed his desire for a peaceful resolution to the nuclear standoff, suggesting that the responsibility now lies with Tehran. “It’s a perilous situation, and we want to do the right thing,” Trump said. “We want to do something that’s going to save maybe millions of lives. Because things like that get started, and they get out of control.”
On Tuesday, Trump emphasized his preference for diplomacy but warned that failure to reach an agreement would trigger severe consequences. “If Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch… we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure,” he said, vowing not to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
The exchange of statements underscores the ongoing tension between Washington and Tehran, even as both sides explore potential diplomatic openings.
