Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied that his nation is posing a threat to the U.S. in an open letter, and defended Iran's actions in the ongoing war, citing it as "legitimate self-defense."
In the translatedfour-page letter posted on Xaddressed to the "people of the United States" on April 1, Pezeshkian wrote that the Iranian people "harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries."
"This is a deeply rooted principle in Iranian culture and collective consciousness – not a temporary political stance," Pezeshkian said. "For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts."
Pezeshkian's letter came hours beforePresident Donald Trumpthreatened that the U.S. would bring Iran "back to the Stone Ages where they belong" while making another case publicly for thewar on Iranduring aprimetime address. While his speech did not reveal any major updates regarding the war, Trump reiterated his stance that the administration's goal is to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. The president also did not give a timeframe for when the war would end, after saying on March 31 that it could conclude in "two weeks, maybe three."
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In his letter, Pezeshkian also accused the U.S. of being a "proxy for Israel," and said the U.S. launched "two acts of aggression" during negotiations to end the war. He encouraged Americans to question the Trump administration's claims about Iran.
Additionally, Pezeshkian said the war is further damaging the "global standing" of the United States.
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The notion of Iran as a threat is 'invented'
Pezeshkian noted that the perception of Iran as a danger was invented. The Iranian president said that notion is "the product of political and economic whims of the powerful — the need to manufacture an enemy in order to justify pressure, maintain military dominance, sustain the arms industry, and control strategic markets.
"In such an environment, if a threat does not exist, it is invented," Pezeshkian added.
The Iranian president also urged Americans to "look beyond the machinery of misinformation," and speak with visitors to Iran or observe the contributions of Iranian immigrants in Western academia and technology as a counter-narrative to official rhetoric.
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Pezeshkianwrote that the world "stands at a crossroads."
"Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before," Pezeshkian said. "The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come."
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Do Pezeshkian's words carry any weight?
Despite a well-constructed letter, foreign policy experts believe Pezeshkian's words could fall short as the war continues.
While Pezeshkian is speaking symbolically as president, the remaining leadership of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is now in command of all things Iran, especially the war, saidAlp Sevimlisoy, a geopolitical strategist and 2021 Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council.
"The power (Pezeshkian) holds is very minimal now because IRGC is running the show," Sevimlisoy told USA TODAY from Istanbul, Turkey. "A lot of their generals are acting independently of the central command of the Iranian state in the absence of a credible supreme leader.
"(Pezeshkian) is posturing as this is narrative building to reposition the Iranian people for the next stage of this conflict, which is likely the deployment of U.S. ground forces," Sevimlisoy added.
While Pezeshkian's letter mentioned negotiations and a desire to end the war, the Iranian president's comments could also be seen by some as propaganda, saidMark Cancian, a retired U.S. Marine colonel and a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic International Studies.
"In terms of getting traction with a majority of Americans, his words are only as important if they are reflected in the actual negotiations taking place," said Cancian, who spent more than 30 years in the Marine Corps and served on multiple tours in Iraq. "Time will tell."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Iranian president denies Iran is a threat to US in letter to America
