Iranian President Pens Open Letter to American People

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian published an open letter to the American public Wednesday, urging them to reject what he called "the machinery of misinformation" about Iran and deny that his country poses a threat to the U.S. The letter comes just over a month after the U.S. and Israel launched initial military strikes on Iran that began the war, and hours before President Trump was scheduled to address Americans on the conflict Wednesday evening. Pezeshkian argued Iran has never initiated aggression in its modern history and characterized Iranian military strengthening as legitimate self-defense against the U.S. military presence surrounding the country. He also accused the U.S. of entering the war as "a proxy for Israel" and questioned whether the conflict serves American interests. Trump earlier Wednesday claimed on Truth Social that Iran's president requested a ceasefire, a claim Iran's Foreign Ministry called "false and baseless."