Iranian President Pezeshkian Challenges US 'America First' Policy Amid Escalating War

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian published an open letter to the American people on April 1, 2026, the 34th day of the US-Iran war, questioning whether the Trump administration's "America First" policy serves American interests or whether Washington is acting as a tool of Israel. The letter, shared by Iran's state-run broadcaster PressTV and posted on Pezeshkian's X account in both English and Persian, asked Americans directly: "Exactly which of the American people's interests are truly being served by this war?" Pezeshkian rejected portrayals of Iran as a security threat, describing his country as "an ancient civilization with a solid defensive tradition" and arguing that the perception of Iran as a threat is "the product of the political and economic whims of the powerful." He drew a sharp distinction between the American government and the American people, stating that Iranians "harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the citizens of the United States, Europe, or neighboring countries." The letter was published hours before US President Donald Trump was scheduled to deliver a televised speech on the war, which the White House had billed as "an important update on Iran."

Pezeshkian accuses Israel of fighting Iran on America's tab The Iranian president directed his sharpest criticism at Israel, accusing it of manipulating Washington into fighting a war on its behalf. „Is it not evident that Israel now aims to fight Iran until the last American soldier and the last American taxpayer dollar, dumping the burden of its illusions onto Iran, the region, and the United States themselves, while pursuing illegitimate interests?” — Masoud Pezeshkian via Al Jazeera Online Pezeshkian also accused Israel of using the conflict to divert attention from its actions against Palestinians. He noted that Iranian negotiators had twice been participating in multilateral nuclear talks when the United States chose to launch military strikes — once in June 2025 and again at the end of February 2026. Pezeshkian warned that attacks on Iran's vital infrastructure, including energy and industrial facilities, "directly target the Iranian people" and "carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran's borders." He described such actions as generating "instability, increased human and economic costs, and cycles of tension, planting seeds of resentment that will endure for years," calling them "a sign of strategic bewilderment and an inability to achieve a sustainable solution." The letter's tone alternated between calls for dialogue and firm assertions of Iran's right to self-defense, though Pezeshkian announced no concrete measures to reduce tensions.

Trump threatens Stone Age strikes, Tehran denies ceasefire request On the same day, Trump delivered a televised speech in which he threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks. Earlier, Trump had written on social media that the US would continue "blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!" unless the Strait of Hormuz was reopened. Trump also claimed that Iran's "new regime president" had requested a ceasefire — a claim that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei flatly denied as "false and groundless." Web search results indicate Trump told the nation in a televised address that the US military had nearly completed its goals in the war. Al Jazeera's correspondent Ali Hashem, reporting from Tehran, described the situation as a "war of narratives," with Washington pushing a narrative of victory while Tehran framed itself as a country under attack. Pezeshkian's letter made no reference to any ceasefire request, consistent with Tehran's denial of Trump's claim. In Iran, major decisions on negotiations and war remain the prerogative of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who holds final authority over any negotiations with Washington.

Schumer calls Trump's war speech an unfit commander's failure Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer issued a sharp rebuke of Trump's speech, posting on X that it was "incoherent, rambling, and pathetic." Schumer accused Trump of failing to articulate goals, alienating allies, and ignoring the economic concerns of ordinary Americans. „Donald Trump's actions in Iran will go down as one of the greatest policy blunders in our country's history, by failing to articulate goals, alienating allies, and ignoring the bread-and-butter issues Americans face. He is completely unfit to be Commander-in-Chief and the whole world knows it.” — Chuck Schumer via Ziare.com Schumer's statement reflected broader Democratic criticism that the administration had entered the conflict without a clear strategic framework. Pezeshkian's letter itself echoed that line of questioning, asking Americans: "Does the massacre of innocent children, the destruction of cancer-treatment pharmaceutical facilities, or boasting about bombing a country 'back to the stone ages' serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States' global standing?" The exchange of statements on April 1 illustrated the dual pressure Trump faces — from Tehran's public diplomacy campaign directed at the American public, and from domestic political opposition questioning the war's rationale and conduct.

The US-Iran war, designated Operation Epic Fury, began on February 28, 2026, with US and Israeli strikes that killed Ali Khamenei, Iran's longtime Supreme Leader. Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Khamenei's son, was appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The conflict has centered in part on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil trade passes. Pezeshkian, a reformist politician and former heart surgeon, has served as Iran's president since 2024. The letter's reference to Iranian negotiators being present at nuclear talks when strikes were launched points to June 2025 and late February 2026 as the two moments of military escalation, according to the Iranian account.

Key events — US-Iran war, day 34: — ; — ; — ; — ; —