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Pezeshkian expressed defiance as the tenuous ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on April 21. The two sides have yet to come to an agreement on Iran's nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian challenges Trump over nuclear rights. (Image credits: AP/Reuters)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Apr 19, 2026 16:37 IST
US President Donald Trump has no authority to deny Iran its nuclear rights, his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday said, as Washington and Tehran remained in a stalemate ahead of a looming ceasefire deadline.
"Trump says Iran cannot make use of its nuclear rights but doesn’t say for what crime. Who is he to deprive a nation of its rights?" Pezeshkian said, according to ISNA news agency.
His remarks come as a tenuous ceasefire between the two adversaries is set to expire on Wednesday, with little headway made in back channel negotiations due to two sticking points -- Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian President said his country is not seeking war and is acting in self-defence against attacks by the US and Israel. He accused both of targeting civilian infrastructure, calling the actions violations of international law and evidence of double standards on human rights.
"We have not attacked any country, and in the current situation we do not intend to attack any party, and we are simply defending ourselves legitimately," Pezeshkian said.
"It should not be suggested that Iran is seeking war," he added. "On the contrary, we are peace-loving and what we are doing is legitimate self-defence. Just as every human being reacts to aggression, a nation also defends itself against attack."
Tensions escalated further over the weekend after Iran reversed an earlier decision to allow shipping through Hormuz, accusing Washington of breaching the ceasefire by maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said commercial transit would remain tightly restricted through the crucial maritime corridor as long as the US blockade continues.
To drive the point home, Iranian gunboats fired at two Indian-flagged vessels in the strait on Saturday. No injuries or damage were reported, but both ships were forced to turn back.
Trump, meanwhile, said talks with Iran were "going very well" while warning that the US would not yield to blackmail. Iran’s national security council said it is reviewing "new proposals" from Washington but has yet to respond.
The two sides remain divided over key issues, including the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium and its ongoing enrichment programme.
With the ceasefire set to expire in three days, Trump said he is uncertain whether it will be extended.
- Ends
Published By:
Devika Bhattacharya
Published On:
Apr 19, 2026 16:37 IST
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