Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an open letter directly to the citizens of the United States, challenging them to consider whether the ongoing Middle East conflict truly aligns with the U.S. policy of “America First” and urging greater scrutiny of Washington’s war aims. The letter, released on Wednesday ahead of a major national address by Donald Trump, frames the conflict as costly for both nations and questions the motives driving American involvement.

In the letter, Pezeshkian rejected portrayals of Iran as an aggressor, stating that the country has “never in its modern history chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination.” He emphasised that Iranian people harbour no animosity toward ordinary Americans, distinguishing between the U.S. government’s policies and the American public.

The Iranian president criticised recent U.S. and allied strikes on Iranian infrastructure, describing them as actions that inflict harm beyond Iran’s borders and contribute to regional instability. He posed rhetorical questions to Americans about the war’s costs, including human suffering and economic disruption, and asked whether these outcomes genuinely serve U.S. national interests under an “America First” framework.

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Pezeshkian also accused the United States of acting as a “proxy for Israel,” suggesting that Washington’s involvement in the conflict reflects geopolitical influences rather than purely American priorities. He urged U.S. citizens to “look beyond the machinery of misinformation” and reconsider widely held perceptions of Iran, pointing to historical grievances and long‑standing tensions between Tehran and Washington that predate the current conflict.

The letter was published as Trump prepared to address the nation on the Iran war amid heightened domestic and international concern over the conflict’s trajectory. Trump has stated that any consideration of a ceasefire would depend on conditions such as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed to global oil traffic, exacerbating global economic volatility.

Pezeshkian’s appeal reflects Tehran’s use of public diplomacy in the midst of sustained hostilities, emphasising dialogue over confrontation and urging Americans to question official narratives about the rationale and objectives of U.S. policy in the Middle East. Analysts say the open letter is part of broader Iranian efforts to shape international opinion and challenge the prevailing framing of the conflict.

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