Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Wednesday published an open letter directly to the American public, challenging the rationale behind the ongoing US‑Israeli campaign against Tehran and urging citizens in the United States to reconsider the motives driving Washington’s foreign policy.

In the wide‑ranging message, Pezeshkian questioned longstanding assumptions about Iran as a security threat, traced grievances in bilateral relations back decades, and insisted that Iran’s recent military measures are grounded in self‑defence rather than aggression.

The letter comes as US President Donald Trump prepares to address the nation on the state of the conflict.

Here’s the full text of his letter:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

“To the people of the United States of America, and to all those who, amid a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives, continue to seek the truth and aspire to a better life:

“Iran — by this very name, character, and identity — is one of the oldest continuous civilisations in human history. Despite its historical and geographical advantages at various times, Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination. Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers — and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbours — Iran has never initiated a war. Yet it has resolutely and bravely repelled those who have attacked it.

“The Iranian people harbour no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighbouring countries. 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.

“For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts. Such a perception is the product of political and economic whims of the powerful — the need to manufacture an enemy in order to justify pressure, maintain military dominance, sustain the arms industry, and control strategic markets. In such an environment, if a threat does not exist, it is invented.

“Within this same framework, the United States has concentrated the largest number of its forces, bases, and military capabilities around Iran — a country that, at least since the founding of the United States, has never initiated a war. Recent American aggressions launched from these very bases have demonstrated how threatening such a military presence truly is. Naturally, no country confronted with such conditions would forgo strengthening its defensive capabilities. What Iran has done — and continues to do — is a measured response grounded in legitimate self-defence, and by no means an initiation of war or aggression.

“Relations between Iran and the United States were not originally hostile, and early interactions between the Iranian and American people were not marred with hostility or tension. The turning point, however, was the 1953 coup d’etat — an illegal American intervention aimed at preventing the nationalisation of Iran’s own resources. That coup disrupted Iran’s democratic process, reinstated dictatorship, and sowed deep distrust among Iranians toward US policies. This distrust deepened further with America’s support for the Shah’s regime, its backing of Saddam Hussein during the imposed war of the 1980s, the imposition of the longest and most comprehensive sanctions in modern history, and ultimately, unprovoked military aggression — twice, in the midst of negotiations —against Iran.

“Yet all these pressures have failed to weaken Iran. On the contrary, the country has grown stronger in many areas: literacy rates have tripled —from roughly 30 per cent before the Islamic Revolution to over 90pc today; higher education has expanded dramatically; significant advances have been achieved in modern technology; healthcare services have improved; and infrastructure has developed at a pace and scale incomparable to the past. These are measurable, observable realities that stand independent of fabricated narratives.

“At the same time, the destructive and inhumane impact of sanctions, war, and aggression on the lives of the resilient Iranian people must not be underestimated. The continuation of military aggression and recent bombings profoundly affect people’s lives, attitudes, and perspectives. This reflects a fundamental human truth: when war inflicts irreparable harm on lives, homes, cities, and futures, people will not remain indifferent toward those responsible.

“This raises a fundamental question: Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war? Was there any objective threat from Iran to justify such behaviour? Does the massacre of innocent children, the destruction of cancer-treatment pharmaceutical facilities, or boasting about bombing a country ‘back to the stone ages’ serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States’ global standing?

“Iran pursued negotiations, reached an agreement, and fulfilled all its commitments. The decision to withdraw from that agreement, escalate toward confrontation, and launch two acts of aggression in the midst of negotiations were destructive choices made by the US government —choices that served the delusions of a foreign aggressor.

“Attacking Iran’s vital infrastructure — including energy and industrial facilities — directly targets 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.

“Is it not also the case that America has entered this aggression as a proxy for Israel, influenced and manipulated by that regime? Is it not true that Israel, by manufacturing an Iranian threat, seeks to divert global attention away from its crimes toward the Palestinians? Is it not evident that Israel now aims to fight Iran to the last American soldier and the last American taxpayer dollar — shifting the burden of its delusions onto Iran, the region, and the United States itself in pursuit of illegitimate interests?

“Is ‘America First’ truly among the priorities of the US government today?

“I invite you to look beyond the machinery of misinformation — an integral part of this aggression — and instead speak with those who have visited Iran. 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?

“Today, the world stands at crossroads. Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before. The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come. Throughout its millennia of proud history, Iran has outlasted many aggressors. All that remains of them are tarnished names in history, while Iran endures —resilient, dignified, and proud.”

US Vice President JD Vance communicated with intermediaries from Pakistan about the Iran conflict as recently as Tuesday, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters, a sign of his expanding role in efforts to broker an end to the conflict.

At President Donald Trump’s direction, Vance signalled privately that Trump was open to a ceasefire as long as certain US demands were met, the source told Reuters on Wednesday.

Vance also delivered what the source described as a “stern message” that Trump was impatient, warning there would be growing pressure on Iranian infrastructure unless Tehran agreed to a deal.

Pakistan has been acting as an intermediary between the United States and Iran, the source said.

The more than a month-long war between the US, Israel and Iran began on February 28 and has plunged the Middle East into turmoil.

Soon after the initial strikes, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route — and launched retaliatory attacks on Israel and US bases across the region.

The development comes at a time when Pakistan has stepped up its diplomatic push to help end the US-Israel war on Iran.

In this regard, Pakistan hosted key regional ministers — from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt — and relayed messages between Washington and Tehran.

On Tuesday, Pakistan and China also jointly urged the US, Israel, and Iran to stop the strikes and initiate “peace talks as soon as possible”.

The call came following a high-level meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.

The meeting’s five-point initiative for peace in the region included the call for an immediate end to hostilities, an urgent start to peace talks, security of non-military targets and shipping lanes, and the primacy of the United Nations Charter.

Vance has taken a greater role in trying to negotiate an end to the war, now in its fifth week. Widely viewed as a potential successor to Trump in the 2028 presidential election, Vance has taken a cautious approach on the conflict, reflecting his long-held skepticism of prolonged US military involvement overseas.

The source said the team that Trump has said are involved in negotiations — Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — remain involved.

Trump has warned the US would attack Iranian infrastructure, but has delayed launching such attacks on Iran’s power grid until April 6 in hopes of reaching a deal with Tehran.

For Tehran resident Fatemeh, the highlight of her day in a city beset by deadly daily US-Israeli strikes in the now month-long war is to make the short journey to her local cafe.

“When I make it to a cafe table, even for a few minutes, I can almost believe the world hasn’t ended,” said the 27-year-old dental assistant.

“It feels like stepping out of this damn war and into an ordinary day, or at least imagining a world that isn’t filled with the constant fear of losing your life, or where you stay alive but lose a loved one or everything you have,” she told AFP.

If a lull in the bombing allows a better night’s sleep, Fatemeh said she will put on make-up and dress up to make her visit to the cafe extra special.

“And then I go back home, back to the reality of living through war, with all its darkness and weight,” she said.

Residents of Tehran who spoke to AFP’s team covering the war in Paris painted a picture of a city that is still clinging to some routine, with cafes and restaurants open, no shortages reported in supermarkets or petrol stations, and people trying to keep up some vestige of a social life.

But they know that life is anything but normal with the US and Israel maintaining a relentless pace of bombardment on the capital since the war started on February 28 with the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials.

There are security checkpoints on what were peaceful streets, the internet has been blocked or drastically slowed for everything except domestic services, and windows are taped up to prevent them shattering in case of attack.

As well as fear of being killed or losing a loved one in an attack, people are gripped by anxiety over the future, over what kind of country they will live in and how they will make ends meet amid a collapsing economy.

The people who agreed to share messages with AFP gave only their first names for fear of the consequences were they to be identified by authorities.

‘Only thing left’

“These days, I mostly stay at home and only go out if I absolutely have to. The only thing left from my life routine before the war that helps me keep my spirit up is cooking,” said Shahrzad, 39.

But she added: “Sometimes I find myself crying in the middle of it. I miss ordinary days… A life where I didn’t have to constantly think about explosions, death, or losing my loved ones.

“I try to stay strong for my daughter… But when I think about the future, I can’t form any clear picture in my mind that I can hold on to with hope.”

People in Tehran have, over the last week, been trying to make the best they can out of the main traditional Persian holiday of Nowruz, a festival that normally sees people leave the city or celebrate at home with family.

“There is no famine, everything is available. Cafes are open, and we still go out to cafes,” said Shayan, 40, a photographer. “There is gasoline, water and electricity.”

“But there is a sense of helplessness in all of us. We don’t know what to do, and there’s really nothing we can do.

“There was no real Nowruz atmosphere at all, but we tried to force ourselves,” he said.

While shops and restaurants are open until 9pm, “many people don’t go out after the afternoon”, he added.

‘I miss a peaceful night’s sleep’

Elnaz, 32, a Tehran-based painter, said when attacks did relent and she had time to think, she remembered how much she missed “living a simple life”.

“We miss the simplest things, going out at night, or just being able to go to another part of the city.

“I miss something as ordinary as shopping somewhere other than the small grocery store or bakery on my street.

“I miss reading in a cafe, going to the park… all those very, very simple things.”

She added: “And more than anything, I miss a peaceful night’s sleep.”

Elnaz said that on some nights the attacks are so intense it feels like “all of Tehran is shaking”.

“Everything goes back to one state — survival. Thinking only about staying alive with all the people I love. My friends, my family, and the people of my city, who look kinder than ever in this difficult time,” she said.

Kaveh, 38, a visual artist, said a piece of a missile struck about 50 metres from his house a few days ago.

“I brought it home with me. I want to make something out of it when I get the chance,” he said, recalling that dust was falling from the sky and several windows were shattered immediately.

He described how, at night in some areas, groups of people who back the clerical system drive around, honking and gathering, “while just a few streets away, there are checkpoints where cars and phones of normal people are being searched”.

“If you have something to do in the city, you’ll likely pass through multiple checkpoints in a single day — each run by different groups. Cars are searched, phones are checked, and months of accumulated frustration are taken out on people at these checkpoints.

“These are just parts of our daily reality under these circumstances,” he said.

The morose atmosphere, residents say, has been compounded by unseasonably rainy weather that contrasts with the spring sunshine people are used to enjoying at Nowruz.

Portraits of children killed in attacks are displayed in squares, while giant flags of the Islamic Republic cover buildings that have been reduced to ruins.

“In the end, for many people, the most important concern is the future of Iran and its people, and what might actually improve the situation,” said Kaveh.