In a move that bypasses official diplomatic channels, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a direct and emotive appeal to the people of the United States. In a four-page open letter released amid escalating regional tensions, Pezeshkian called for a reassessment of the “manufactured narratives” that portray Iran as a global threat, asserting that his nation has never chosen the path of aggression or colonialism in its modern history.
The Iranian President characterized the current friction as a product of political and economic whims, suggesting that an “enemy” is being invented to justify the interests of the global arms industry and maintain military dominance. “If a threat does not exist, it is invented,” the letter stated, emphasizing that Iran’s current defensive posture is a measured response to the concentration of foreign military bases surrounding its borders.
Pezeshkian took a deep dive into the historical roots of the mistrust between the two nations, specifically citing the 1953 coup d’état—which he described as an illegal intervention that disrupted Iran’s democratic process—and the subsequent decades of “comprehensive sanctions.” Despite these pressures, he pointed to significant domestic milestones, noting that literacy rates in Iran have tripled since the Islamic Revolution, now exceeding 90%, alongside major leaps in higher education and healthcare infrastructure.
In a particularly pointed section of the address, the President questioned whether the American government is prioritizing “America First” or acting as a “proxy for Israel.” He suggested that the U.S. is being manipulated into a conflict that serves to divert global attention from other regional issues, asking whether the American taxpayer should be burdened by the “delusions of a foreign aggressor.”
The letter concluded with a plea for the American public to look at the reality of the Iranian diaspora—thousands of whom contribute to top-tier Western universities and tech firms—rather than the “machinery of misinformation.” Warning that the world stands at a “consequential crossroads,” Pezeshkian argued that the path of confrontation is increasingly futile, reminding the audience that while many aggressors have faded into tarnished history, Iran remains “resilient and proud.”