SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech during an inspection visit to the Ministry of Sports and Youth in Tehran, Iran on April 19, 2026.
(Photo: Iranian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
'Iranians Do Not Submit to Force,' Says Iran's President as Trump Lobs More Threats
Another Iranian official, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, said the US is "claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations" while still engaging in acts of aggression.
Apr 20, 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday criticized what he called "unconstructive and contradictory signals" by US officials as the two sides weighed another round of peace talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, where an earlier summit failed to produce a deal to end the conflict that the Trump administration and its Israeli counterparts launched in late February.
"Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue," Pezeshkian wrote in a social media post, adding that Iranians harbor "deep historical mistrust" toward the US government given its record of aggression against the Middle Eastern country.
"They seek Iran's surrender," Pezeshkian wrote of Trump administration officials. "Iranians do not submit to force."
The Iranian president's comments came as his US counterpart, President Donald Trump, threatened to continue the bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 3,300 Iranians—and displaced millions—if the current two-week ceasefire expires Wednesday evening without an agreement to end the war.
"Lots of bombs start going off," Trump told PBS News when asked what happens if the ceasefire lapses without a deal.
Trump's remarks came after he warned that if Iranian leaders don't accept his administration's terms for an end to the war, "the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran." Experts have said Trump's threats are themselves war crimes even if he doesn't follow through with the attacks on civilian infrastructure, which is protected under international law.
Iran is considering attending another round of peace talks with the Trump administration in Islamabad this week, even after Iran's top diplomat accused the US delegation of sabotaging the previous round with maximalist demands and "shifting goal posts."
The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said in a press briefing on Monday that "no decision has been made" regarding Iranian attendance at another round of talks.
"While claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations, the US is carrying out behaviors that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process," Baghaei told reporters, pointing to the US military's attack on and seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman over the weekend.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday criticized what he called "unconstructive and contradictory signals" by US officials as the two sides weighed another round of peace talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, where an earlier summit failed to produce a deal to end the conflict that the Trump administration and its Israeli counterparts launched in late February.
"Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue," Pezeshkian wrote in a social media post, adding that Iranians harbor "deep historical mistrust" toward the US government given its record of aggression against the Middle Eastern country.
"They seek Iran's surrender," Pezeshkian wrote of Trump administration officials. "Iranians do not submit to force."
The Iranian president's comments came as his US counterpart, President Donald Trump, threatened to continue the bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 3,300 Iranians—and displaced millions—if the current two-week ceasefire expires Wednesday evening without an agreement to end the war.
"Lots of bombs start going off," Trump told PBS News when asked what happens if the ceasefire lapses without a deal.
Trump's remarks came after he warned that if Iranian leaders don't accept his administration's terms for an end to the war, "the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran." Experts have said Trump's threats are themselves war crimes even if he doesn't follow through with the attacks on civilian infrastructure, which is protected under international law.
Iran is considering attending another round of peace talks with the Trump administration in Islamabad this week, even after Iran's top diplomat accused the US delegation of sabotaging the previous round with maximalist demands and "shifting goal posts."
The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said in a press briefing on Monday that "no decision has been made" regarding Iranian attendance at another round of talks.
"While claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations, the US is carrying out behaviors that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process," Baghaei told reporters, pointing to the US military's attack on and seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman over the weekend.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday criticized what he called "unconstructive and contradictory signals" by US officials as the two sides weighed another round of peace talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, where an earlier summit failed to produce a deal to end the conflict that the Trump administration and its Israeli counterparts launched in late February.
"Honoring commitments is the basis of meaningful dialogue," Pezeshkian wrote in a social media post, adding that Iranians harbor "deep historical mistrust" toward the US government given its record of aggression against the Middle Eastern country.
"They seek Iran's surrender," Pezeshkian wrote of Trump administration officials. "Iranians do not submit to force."
The Iranian president's comments came as his US counterpart, President Donald Trump, threatened to continue the bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 3,300 Iranians—and displaced millions—if the current two-week ceasefire expires Wednesday evening without an agreement to end the war.
"Lots of bombs start going off," Trump told PBS News when asked what happens if the ceasefire lapses without a deal.
Trump's remarks came after he warned that if Iranian leaders don't accept his administration's terms for an end to the war, "the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran." Experts have said Trump's threats are themselves war crimes even if he doesn't follow through with the attacks on civilian infrastructure, which is protected under international law.
Iran is considering attending another round of peace talks with the Trump administration in Islamabad this week, even after Iran's top diplomat accused the US delegation of sabotaging the previous round with maximalist demands and "shifting goal posts."
The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said in a press briefing on Monday that "no decision has been made" regarding Iranian attendance at another round of talks.
"While claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations, the US is carrying out behaviors that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process," Baghaei told reporters, pointing to the US military's attack on and seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman over the weekend.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.