Iran's president insists Tehran does not seek a nuclear bomb and dangles US business opportunities

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's president again pledged Wednesday that his nation is “not after a nuclear bomb” ahead of talks between Tehran and the United States, going as far as dangling the prospect of direct American investment in the Islamic Republic if the countries can reach a deal.

The comments by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian represent a departure from Iran's stance after its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, in which Tehran sought to buy American airplanes but in effect barred U.S. companies from coming into the country.

“His excellency has no opposition to investment by American investors in Iran," Pezeshkian said in a speech in Tehran, referring to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "American investors: Come and invest.”

Such a business proposal could draw the interest of U.S. President Donald Trump, who withdrew America from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in his first term and now seeks a new agreement with the country.

Pezeshkian, who campaigned on a platform of outreach to the West during his election last year, also added that Saturday's talks in Oman between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff would be conducted “indirectly.” Trump has said the talks would be direct negotiations — something Tehran hasn't ruled out after the first round of discussions.

“We are not after a nuclear bomb," Pezeshkian added. “You (in the West) have verified it 100 times. Do it 1,000 times again.”

Iran long suspicious of business links to US

In 2015, Khamenei opposed importing American consumer goods into Iran.

“We neither allow economic influence, nor political influence and presence as well as cultural influence by Americans in our country,” he said then. “We will confront it by all means, we will not allow.”

But after Trump’s comments on the talks went public, Iran’s ailing economy showed new signs of life. Its rial currency, which hit a record low of over 1 million rials to the dollar, rebounded Tuesday to 990,000 rials.

Iran’s economy has been severely affected by international sanctions, particularly after Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. At the time of the 2015 deal, which saw Iran drastically limit its enrichment and stockpiling of uranium in exchange for lifting of international sanctions, the rial traded at 32,000 to the dollar.

There also appeared to be a direct influence from the top on how hard-line media reported the upcoming talks Wednesday as there was no criticism of the negotiations whatsoever — something highly unusual in Iran's fractious internal politics.

“At first, Iran may unilaterally accept a decrease in enrichment. This should not be considered a withdrawal," the hard-line newspaper Javan, believed to be close to the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said in an editorial.

"Keeping the nuclear industry and enrichment that meets our needs is what we have been saying and seeking for years. In return for a decrease of the level of enrichment and an increase of monitoring, Iran should gain concessions on lifting all sanctions and stopping open hostility through the support to the opposition” by the U.S.

Pezeshkian himself spoke at an event marking Iran's National Nuclear Technology Day, which in the past had seen Tehran show off advances in centrifuge technology that worried the West. This year it focused on medical applications and other projects.

Protest in Tehran mocks US and Israel

However, not everyone agrees with the U.S. outreach. There had been anger toward Trump from Iran’s theocracy, particularly over his decision to launch a drone strike that killed prominent Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020. U.S. officials have said Trump faced assassination threats from Iran in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election.

A protest in Tehran on Wednesday drew some hundreds people and saw demonstrators burn an effigy of the U.S. flag, chanting both “Death to America!" and “Death to Israel!” Fake coffins for Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat to one side as protesters also carried signs decrying the death of civilians in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

“Negotiations with whom? With a murderer? With an occupier?" asked one woman holding a “Death to Israel” placard who declined to give her name at the protest for fear of reprisal. “We should keep these in mind. They always show their true nature.”

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.