Tehran believes US is provoking Israel to bomb Iran "like Gaza"

Iran is accusing the United States of provoking Israel to carry out armed assaults against them. 

The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, made this accusation on February 12 during his visit to the Bushehr province, Caliber.Az reports citing Iranian media. 

Pezeshkian said that US President Donald Trump was inciting Israel to "bomb Iran like they do in Gaza" and for Iran to remain silent in the face of this attack. He went on to question Washington's sincerity when they talk about negotiations, claiming, that the US was responsible for coming up with conspiracies about Iran and continuing to impose sanctions. "You are seeking to sabotage Iran, not negotiate," Pezeskhian told the crowd. 

The president also talked about the assasination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh which was orchestrated in Tehran on the day of the new Iranian president's inauguration, accusing both Israel and the US of human rights violations. 

The harsh words came in light of Trump signing an executive order February 4 to reinstate maximum pressure on Iran, which includes intensifying efforts to reduce Iran's oil exports. At the same time, Trump expressed the possibility of meeting with Pezeshkian and stated his desire to strike an "excellent deal" with Tehran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has previously expressed his opposition to negotiating with the US, saying such talks "have no impact on solving the country’s problems". He believes that negotiations "would not be wise, intelligent or honorable."

By Nazrin Sadigova