Tehran: Talks with the United States aim to defend Iran's rights, 'not surrender,' Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday. 'If there is any talk of dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or backing down, but rather the goal is to secure the rights of the Iranian nation and powerfully defend national interests,' Pezeshkian stated in a declaration disseminated by the state-run IRNA news agency.

According to Anadolu Agency, Iran "will never bow before the enemy," President Pezeshkian asserted during a meeting of the task force for reconstruction of damage caused during the US-Israeli war. This statement comes amidst heightened regional tensions following the US and Israel's military strikes against Iran on February 28, which led to retaliatory actions from Tehran targeting Israel and US allies in the Gulf, and resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In an effort to de-escalate the situation, a ceasefire was brokered by Pakistan, taking effect on April 8. However, subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to secure a lasting peace agreement. Despite this, US President Donald Trump extended the truce without a fixed end date, offering a window for diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a permanent resolution to the conflict.