In his open letter to the US public, Iranian President Pezeshkian says that the current distrust of Washington in Iran is due to several reasons, including foreign intervention and “inhumane sanctions”, Al Jazeera reports.

“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,” he said.

However, Pezeshkian noted that the “turning point” was the 1953 coup d’état, describing it as “an illegal American intervention aimed at preventing the nationalisation of Iran’s own resources”.

He said the distrust “deepened further” through support for ousted shah Reza Pahlavi’s rule, the backing of Saddam Hussein, sweeping sanctions and “unprovoked military aggression — twice, in the midst of negotiations, against Iran”.

“The continuation of military aggression and recent bombings profoundly affect people’s lives, attitudes, and perspectives.”