Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has again declined to meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, saying a face-to-face encounter is not possible while American attacks continue during diplomatic efforts, according to reports carried by CNN Indonesia and other Indonesian outlets on Saturday.
Pezeshkian tied any future meeting to a restoration of confidence between Tehran and Washington, ANTARA News reported. In his remarks, he also framed the decision over when the war ends as one for the United States to make, according to kontan.co.id.
The Iranian president's position was reported across several Indonesian newsrooms, with detikNews describing his message as a choice presented to Trump: end the war or not. Suara Surabaya reported that Pezeshkian called a meeting with Trump difficult so long as the U.S. keeps striking while diplomacy is under way.
The statements point to a continuing standoff between the two governments, with Tehran setting the repair of trust as a precondition for direct talks. No date or venue for any meeting was mentioned in the reports, and there was no indication that Washington had responded to Pezeshkian's conditions.
What to watch next is whether the two sides move toward renewed confidence or whether strikes during the diplomatic process continue to block any direct contact.
