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‘Attempt To Overthrow Islamic System’: Iran President Pezeshkian Slams US, Israel

Sneha May 18, 2026 02:11 AM

Masoud Pezeshkian accused Western powers and their regional allies of carrying out a coordinated campaign aimed at destabilising Iran, claiming the recent military actions against the country were designed to trigger internal unrest and weaken the government. According to Iranian state media Press TV, Pezeshkian said the attacks were deliberately calibrated to disrupt domestic stability and directly target the foundations of Iran’s leadership structure, ANI reported.

'Attempted To Destabilise Iran'

Elaborating on what Tehran sees as the broader objective behind the recent escalation, Masoud Pezeshkian directly accused the United States and Israel of attempting to destabilise the country and undermine its political system.

“The primary objective of the United States and the Zionist regime in attacking Iran was to create internal instability and attempt to weaken and overthrow the Islamic system,” Pezeshkian said.

According to Iranian media reports on Sunday, Tehran believes this alleged strategy of destabilisation is also contributing to the ongoing diplomatic deadlock. Reports claimed that the United States failed to offer any significant concessions in its latest response to Iran’s proposed framework for negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

US Refused To Release

According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the latest US proposal included a five-point framework that Tehran viewed unfavourably. The report claimed Washington demanded that Iran retain only one operational nuclear facility and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.

Fars also reported that the US refused to release “even 25 per cent” of Iran’s frozen overseas assets or provide compensation for damages caused during the conflict that began on February 28.

The state-affiliated outlet further claimed that Washington linked a complete halt in hostilities to the start of formal negotiations, a condition Tehran reportedly considers a strategic tactic rather than a genuine attempt at peace.

Iran’s Mehr News Agency also criticised the ongoing diplomatic stalemate, claiming Washington was seeking gains through negotiations that it could not achieve militarily.

“The United States, offering no tangible concessions, wants to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war, which will lead to an impasse in the negotiations,” the agency said.

The criticism came after Tehran reportedly presented its own broader proposal for regional de-escalation, sharply differing from the US position. According to the report, Iran’s framework called for an end to hostilities across all fronts, including Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, along with the lifting of the US naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports since April 13.

Iran also called for the full removal of economic restrictions imposed by the United States as part of its proposed framework for de-escalation.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Tehran further demanded the lifting of all US sanctions and the release of Iranian assets frozen overseas under longstanding American sanctions during a press conference held last week.