In a phone call on Wednesday with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Pezeshkian said they must respect Iran’s rights and stop raising excessive demands.

Iran has always welcomed dialogue and engagement, Pezeshkian reiterated, but said the burden of proof now lies with the West.

“It is not Iran that must prove its honesty and build confidence. Rather, it is the United States and Europe that must prove their sincerity and earn the trust of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Iranian president pointed to the country’s consistent position on its nuclear work, rooted in the fatwa of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and Iran’s defensive doctrine, which holds that Tehran never seeks nuclear weapons.

Despite this, he said, Iran continues to face baseless accusations and escalating sanctions under the false pretext of pursuing a nuclear arsenal.

Pezeshkian emphasized that problems can only be resolved through logic and dialogue, not through coercion or threats.

“Where misunderstandings can be addressed through reason, the use of force only deepens differences and divisions.”

For his part, Macron thanked Pezeshkian for the steps taken to implement past agreements and expressed his intention to work toward a new framework for negotiations between Iran and Western states.

He said continued dialogue was essential to build transparency and trust, to lift sanctions, and improve bilateral relations.

“It is essential that our interactions continue in the direction of creating transparency and building trust, so that we can reach an agreement and, alongside the lifting of sanctions, improve and expand mutual relations,” he said.

Iran and the United States had held five rounds of talks on a replacement for the 2015 nuclear deal before the US-Israeli airstrikes of June on the country and its nuclear facilities.

The United States and its European allies have repeatedly called for any future agreement to address not only Iran’s nuclear activities but also its ballistic missile program.

Tehran has consistently rejected that demand, insisting its military capabilities are non-negotiable.

On August 28, the European trio of countries, Britain, France, and Germany, invoked the “snapback” mechanism to restore UN sanctions against Iran, further complicating diplomacy to resolve tensions.

Iran, Russia, China, and certain other countries have rejected the European move, saying the 2015 nuclear deal has expired and all the relevant UN sanctions against Iran have become null and void.