Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected US demands for concessions in talks to end the ongoing conflict, warning that Iran will not bow to pressure, reports Al Jazeera.

Responding to US calls to compromise or face possible military action, Pezeshkian said, “No one can make us surrender”, adding that followers of the Shia faith “cannot be coerced by force”.

In a post on X, the Iranian president said he had spoken with Iraq’s prime minister and urged Washington to withdraw its military threats from the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said in recent days that a new security plan for the Strait of Hormuz is intended to block the passage of weapons and supplies heading to US military bases in the region, a key issue complicating negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

In a latest development, US President Donald Trump said the American operation to reopen the strait, named “Project Freedom”, has been put on hold to allow talks with Iran to move forward.