Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a rare open letter addressed to the American public, stating that Iran holds “no enmity” toward ordinary citizens of the United States. The message, carried by Press TV, attempts to separate people from government actions at a time of rising tensions between the two countries.
“The Iranian people harbour no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America,” Pezeshkian wrote, describing this as a long-standing principle rather than a political position. The letter was released just hours before US President Donald Trump’s scheduled address outlining Washington’s next steps in the ongoing conflict.
Questions over US military action
Pezeshkian used the letter to question the justification behind US actions, asking, “Was there any objective threat from Iran to justify such behaviour?” He referred to civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure, raising concerns about the broader consequences of military escalation. “Does the massacre of innocent children or boasting about bombing a country ‘back to the stone ages’ serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States’ global standing?”
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He also wondered if such actions were even useful for anything else but damaging the image of the United States around the world, mentioning quotes about extreme military actions as an example.
The Iranian president explained that the tensions between his country and the US were caused by various events from history, such as the coup in 1953 and years of sanctions.
Calling the 1953 intervention a turning point, Pezeshkian said, “The turning point was the intervention aimed at preventing the nationalisation of Iran’s own resources”, adding that subsequent policies only deepened the divide between the two nations.
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Call for engagement over conflict
Despite the strained history, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran “has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression” and has acted only in self-defence when necessary. He framed the current situation as a critical moment, warning that continued confrontation would be costly and unproductive.
In his closing remarks, he urged Americans to look beyond what he described as distorted narratives and to engage with a broader understanding of Iran. “Today, the world stands at a crossroads. Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before”, he wrote.
The letter comes as tensions remain high, even as the possibility of diplomatic engagement remains uncertain.
