Ordinary Americans are not Iran's enemy: Pezeshkian

TEHRAN, Apr 2: Iran's president asked the people of the United States if the Middle East conflict was truly putting "America First", accusing the US of war crimes and being influenced by Israel ahead of a much-anticipated address by Donald Trump.

Sparked by a US-Israeli offensive launched against Iran on February 28, the war has rippled across the Middle East, creating global economic turmoil.

More than a month in, US President Trump claimed Wednesday that Iranian President MasoudPezeshkian was seeking a ceasefire, a claim Tehran has denied.

"Attacking Iran's vital infrastructure -- including energy and industrial facilities -- directly targets the Iranian people," Pezeshkian said in an open letter, published to his website Wednesday.

"Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran's borders."

They sow "instability, increase human and economic costs", and plant "seeds of resentment that will endure for years", he continued.

"Is 'America First' truly among the priorities of the US government today?" Pezeshkian asked.
He also said ordinary Americans were not Iran's enemy, "even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures".    �"AFP