US could attack Iran again during negotiations, Iranian president warns

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned Thursday that the US could attack Tehran again during negotiations, saying that trust in Washington has been “completely destroyed.”

In a phone call with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, Pezeshkian said dialogue and diplomacy have always figured atop Iran’s agenda.

"Efforts to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy with Iran's responsibility have always been on the agenda," Pezeshkian said in his comments carried by the state-run Press TV.

"But during the negotiations, the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) attacked Iran twice, and there is a possibility of such actions being repeated – which has led to Iran's complete distrust of the United States."

The US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran in June 2025 amid nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Iran came under another wave of US and Israeli attacks in February following negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program.

Lukashenko, for his part, expressed concern over escalating tensions in the Gulf and their security and economic consequences for the region and the world.

He expressed hope that differences between Tehran and Washington would be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.

The US and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against US allies in the Gulf and closing the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, followed by talks in Islamabad on April 11, but an agreement could not be reached. US President Donald Trump later unilaterally extended the truce without any new time frame, at Pakistan’s request.

He also rejected a proposal from Iran, in which Tehran suggested reopening the Strait of Hormuz while leaving questions about its nuclear program for later negotiations.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul.