Iran blasts U.S. over assassination rhetoric
Tehran rejects talks unless blockade is lifted
Iran condemned the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism after President Donald Trump endorsed a Washington Post op‑ed advocating assassination of Iranian leaders and urging a 72‑hour ultimatum before ending a ceasefire and resuming attacks. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei called the endorsement a “profound moral failure,” saying a country that once claimed to champion democracy now promotes “terrorism, murder, and mass violence.”
Tehran said peace talks in Islamabad collapsed because of US maximalist demands and stated it will not return to negotiations unless Washington lifts what Iran calls an illegal blockade on its vessels and ports. The statement framed recent events as part of a broader conflict that began with alleged attacks by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28, including the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader and senior commanders, which Tehran says prompted over 40 days of Iranian missile and drone retaliation and a subsequent ceasefire.
Iran also rejected US suggestions of internal disunity, as the president, parliament speaker and judiciary chief jointly rebuked Trump’s claims of “divisions between extremists and moderates,” reaffirming a unified national stance.
