In an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied any plans by Iran to assassinate Donald Trump during the US election campaign last year, insisting the country had never intended to carry out such an act and would not do so in the future.

The comments came shortly after the US Justice Department announced federal charges against three individuals for their involvement in a foiled Iranian plot to kill Trump in early November, just days before the election. Pezeshkian dismissed these allegations, stating, “This is another one of those schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia. … Iran has never attempted to nor does it plan to assassinate anyone. At least as far as I know.”

NBC’s Lester Holt sought further clarification, asking, “You’re saying there was never an Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump?” Pezeshkian responded without hesitation, saying, “None whatsoever.”

When pressed about whether Iran could guarantee it would never target Trump, Pezeshkian firmly reiterated, “We have never attempted this to begin with and we never will.”

The discussion also touched on the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran following President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, reintroduce sanctions, and impose additional ones. In retaliation, Iran has scaled back its adherence to the deal by taking several actions, including restricting access to UN nuclear inspectors and increasing its uranium enrichment capabilities.

Pezeshkian criticized the US for failing to fulfill its previous commitments, stating, “The problem we have is not in dialogue. It’s in the commitments that arise from talk and dialogue that we’ll have to commit to.” He continued, “We have this doubt that, no matter how much we engage in conversation and dialogue, they are trying to topple the government, not solve the problems.”

The Iranian president also dismissed claims that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, labeling them as “fabricated pretexts.”

Regarding regional challenges to Iran’s influence, Pezeshkian expressed confidence in his country’s position, asserting that Iran remains “more coherent, more robust,” with stronger internal participation and security.

When asked about efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Pezeshkian expressed Iran’s commitment to peace, stating, “We do whatever we can in order for peace to prevail in the region.”

{Matzav.com}