Iran International
US President Donald Trump’s repeated entreaties for Iran to agree to Mideast peace in remarks at the Israeli Knesset and Sharm al-Sheikh on Monday has drawn mixed reactions in Tehran as diplomatic isolation and economic pain bite.
Trump urged Iran to recognize Israel and accept Washington’s conditions, telling Iranian officials, “We are ready when you are … It will be the best decision that Iran has ever made ... I’m telling you, they want to make a deal.”
However, he set some conditions: “Nothing would do more good for the Middle East than for Iran’s leaders to renounce terror, stop threatening their neighbors, quit funding their militant proxies, and finally recognize Israel’s right to existence.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rebuked Trump, accusing him of combining contradictory roles.
Tehran, Araghchi said, remains open to “respectful and mutually beneficial diplomatic engagement,” but would not “accept being used as a pretext for normalization with Israel under unjust terms.”
'They want an obedient Iran'
State media emphasized Tehran’s wariness, declaring Iran’s hesitation stems from a “lack of trust.”
“Iran's return to the negotiating table will not come through an invitation to Sharm el-Sheikh or through threats made in the Tel Aviv Knesset, but only through respectful and reasonable conduct," the government-run news outlet IRNA wrote.
"This is the first principle of engaging in talks with Iran—so that any negotiation can become a win–win deal for both sides.”
The Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)-linked Tasnim News Agency described Trump’s peace proposal as “part of a broader strategy to impose America’s will on Iran."
Fars News Agency, also linked to the IRGC, cited Khamenei's remarks in August: “Those who argue over why we do not negotiate directly with the US are superficial in my view. The essence of the matter is not like that; this issue is insoluble. They want Iran to be obedient to the United States.”
Ultra-hardline social media voices suggested talks should occur only after demonstrating strategic strength.
“From Trump’s statements at the summit and the Knesset, it is clear that he seeks Iran’s complete submission, to the extent that Iran would even recognize Israel," conservative commentator Erfan Pazhuhandeh wrote on X.
This means that neither war nor tensions is entirely off the table.”
'Iran never denied Jew's right to live'
Reformists and moderates insist engagement is the only viable path.
Former President Hassan Rouhani, addressing former government officials after the Sharm el-Sheikh summit and Gaza peace agreement, said, “Negotiating with the world is difficult but possible, and the binary choice of war or surrender is incorrect.”
He urged Iran to find “another path, which is the path of engagement.”
Commentator Mohammad Sadegh Hosseini told Etemad that Trump has both the motivation and capacity to reach a deal before US midterm elections, but any agreement depends on Iran.
He argued that two of Trump’s three conditions—refraining from supporting terrorists and avoiding regional hostility— are manageable. The third, recognition of “Israel’s right to existence”, as Trump put it, “could potentially be achieved through practical mechanisms, he argued.
“Iran has never denied the right of Jews to live," he added." Planning can be done in a way that aligns with Iran’s fundamental strategies.”
Reformist politician Ahmad Shirzad told Etemad that only a practical, actionable proposal with clear negotiation terms would allow Iran to properly assess the offer.
“Public discussions like these—remarks at the Knesset or Sharm el-Sheikh—are neither reassuring nor alarming,” he added.
