Tehran, May 17 — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Western powers and regional allies of running a coordinated campaign to undermine Iran’s internal stability, saying recent military strikes were designed to disrupt domestic order and weaken the country’s leadership.
Speaking through state media, Press TV, Pezeshkian described the external operations as a direct threat to the foundations of the Islamic Republic. He said the primary aim of the United States and Israel was to foment unrest at home and “weaken and overthrow the Islamic system.”
Iranian outlets say that assessment is shaping a diplomatic stalemate. State-aligned reports on Sunday said the US response to Tehran’s negotiating agenda contained no meaningful concessions. According to the Fars news agency, Washington proposed a five-point list that included demands that Iran maintain only one nuclear site and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.
Fars added that the US refused to release even 25 percent of Iran’s frozen assets held abroad and declined to pay reparations for war-related damage. The agency also reported that Washington tied a cessation of hostilities on all fronts to the start of negotiations, a condition Tehran regards as a tactical move rather than a sincere offer of peace.
Mehr news agency similarly criticized the US stance, saying Washington was seeking by negotiation what it failed to achieve during the war, a dynamic likely to produce an impasse.
Tehran has meanwhile presented its own comprehensive framework aimed at regional de-escalation. Iran’s proposal calls for an immediate end to fighting on all fronts, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, and demands an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports that has been in place since April 13. The plan also seeks the removal of US economic restrictions, lifting of sanctions, and release of Iranian assets frozen under longstanding US measures.
On maritime security, Iranian outlets said Tehran insisted it would continue to control the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which it has largely kept closed since the onset of the conflict.
As diplomatic channels stalled, Iranian leaders paired rhetoric with military warnings. Armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi issued a blunt caution to US President Donald Trump, saying any renewed attack on Iran would provoke a devastating response at home. In televised remarks, Shekarchi warned that further aggression would be met with “unprecedented, offensive, surprising and tumultuous” scenarios confronting US forces and resources.
(This report is based on material from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.)
