Pezeshkian hits back at Trump, says US can only dream of Iran's surrender

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a fiery response on Wednesday to his American counterpart’s speech in Riyadh the previous day in which Donald Trump accused Iran’s leaders of mismanagement and destabilizing the Middle East.

Pezeshkian rejected the allegations in sweeping terms, turning the blame on Washington and its allies.

“Did we kill sixty thousand women and children in Gaza within a year, under bombs and missiles? Did we cut off water, bread, and medicine from those poor people? Are we the threat?” he asked in a speech in Kermanshah in western Iran.

Referring to US arms sales to Iran's Arab neighbors, Pezeshkian said, “When they boast of having missiles and bombs beyond imagination, is it us who are causing war and bloodshed—or is it them, who flood this region with weapons and ammunition?”

“You want the countries of this region to turn on each other by handing out bombs and missiles, and then you say you’re peace-seekers?” he added.