Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made a bold and unusual diplomatic move on April 2, 2026, as he addressed the people of the United States of America directly through an open letter. In this letter, he questioned whether the US was truly prioritising its own interests or acting as a proxy of Israel. Interestingly, the President did not speak to his own countrymen amid rising tensions in West Asia.

President Pezeshkian drew a distinction between governments and ordinary citizens, emphasising that the Iranian people hold no hostility toward Americans, in spite of decades-long political conflict between the two countries. He mentioned that the Donald Trump Administration was not adhering to the America First policy. In fact, Pezeshkian challenged the priorities of President Trump’s America First policy, asking whether the conflict truly serves US national interests. “Exactly which of the American people’s interests are being served by this war?” he wrote. The message, published by Iran’s Press TV, appears aimed at reshaping perceptions and appealing directly to public opinion in the US during a critical phase of the ongoing geopolitical crisis.

Interestingly, the Iranian President released the letter hours before President Trump addressed the nation. During his address, the US President claimed that the Islamic Republic lacked the capacity to drag out the war for more than two-three weeks.

On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel attacked Iran after weeks of military buildup and threats from President Trump. Large-scale joint strikes targeted Iranian military assets and the top political leadership, eliminating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei. The Islamic Republic retaliated by targeting US military facilities in the region, Israel, and energy and civilian infrastructure in the Gulf states. Gradually, the attacks and counter-attacks escalated into a regional war with widespread ramifications for critical supply chains and humanitarian aid. Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused a global energy shock, prompting the International Energy Agency (IEA) to release 400 million barrels from its strategic reserve.

In the open letter addressed to the American public, President Pezeshkian claimed that the manner in which the US carried out attacks amounts to a war crime. He mentioned that the US attacked vital infrastructure, including energy and industrial facilities, of Iran, apart from directly targeting the Iranian people. “Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders. They generate instability, increase human and economic costs, and perpetuate cycles of tension, planting seeds of resentment that will endure for years. This is not a demonstration of strength; it is a sign of strategic bewilderment and an inability to achieve a sustainable solution,” added the President.

Pezeshkian also questioned the US’ alignment with Israel, suggesting that Washington DC might have been drawn into the conflict under Israeli influence. He accused the Zionist Regime of amplifying the perception of an Iranian threat to divert attention from its actions in Palestinian territories.

Despite the sharp criticism, President Pezeshkian maintained that Iran harbours “no enmity” toward the American people and also reiterated his country’s Right to Self-defence. He stressed: “Even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures throughout their proud history, Iranians have consistently drawn a clear distinction between governments and the peoples they govern. This is a deeply rooted principle in Iranian culture and collective consciousness – not a temporary political stance.” The President further mentioned: “Iran is a country that, at least since the founding of the US, has never initiated a war.“

Meanwhile, President Pezeshkian requested US citizens to look beyond the “machinery of misinformation (an integral part of the aggression) and speak with those who have visited Iran,” saying: “Observe the many accomplished Iranian immigrants, educated in Iran, who now teach and conduct research at the world’s most prestigious universities, or contribute to the most advanced technology firms in the West.” “Do these realities align with the distortions you are being told about Iran and its people?” he asked.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das