Iran · 02 April, 2026 · 1 min read
Iran's President Pezeshkian Blames US-Israeli War on Israel's Pressure
Open letter asks Americans to question who benefits from US-Israel war on Iran. Pezeshkian rejects Iran as aggressor, citing attacks during diplomacy.
Framing and audience of Pezeshkian's letter.
13 of 14 outlets skipped it: an airstrike on Kamal Kharrazi, described as killing his wife, was reported by Metro.co.uk (Mehr News Agency attribution)..
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Al Jazeera
“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged people in the United States to look beyond “a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives” and ask whose interests are being served by the US-Israeli war on Iran.”Read the original ↗
Time Magazine
“Portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts,” he wrote. “Such a perception is the product of political and economic whims of the powerful—the need to manufacture an enemy in order to justify pressure, maintain military dominance, sustain the arms industry, and control strategic markets. In such an environment, if a threat does not exist, it is invented.”Read the original ↗
Different outlets frame the open letter differently: Al Jazeera presents it as a call to the US public amid distortions, while Time Magazine foregrounds a critique of Western framing and the idea of manufactured threats.
Open Letter to America
Iran's President Pezeshkian issued an unprecedented open letter to the American public, urging them to look beyond distortions and ask whose interests are truly being served. He questioned whether Trump's America First policy is genuinely a priority, accusing the US of acting as a proxy force for Israel. Pezeshkian rejected portrayals of Tehran as an aggressor, noting Iran was attacked twice while engaged in nuclear negotiations.
“Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war?”
He framed Iran's nuclear and missile development as self-defensive measures. The letter placed the conflict within a 73-year history of US-Iran antagonism.
Humanitarian Costs and War Crimes
Pezeshkian sharply criticized the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. He warned that attacking Iran's vital infrastructure constitutes a war crime and generates instability.
Some Western mainstream sources largely focused on military objectives and ignored the extensive civilian death toll. The targeting of moderate officials was seen by Iran as an attempt to derail ceasefire efforts.
Economic Impact and Global Opinion
The conflict had cascading economic effects, notably the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. India announced it would stop all trade with Iran, dealing a major blow to the economy.
Iran's oil exports were reduced to a fraction of prewar levels. Public opinion in the US leaned against the war, with only 27% approval of the strikes.
Diplomatic Maneuvering and Ceasefire Dynamics
Diplomatic efforts persisted despite the intensifying conflict. Switzerland assumed the role of protecting power over Iranian interests in Washington.
Trump claimed Iran's new president had requested a ceasefire, a statement Iranian officials denounced as false. Pezeshkian warned that continuing confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before.
