Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran is not seeking war or a nuclear arsenal, telling U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson in a virtual interview that claims to the contrary stem from what he called Israeli government 'machinations' aimed at portraying Iran as a threat. Pezeshkian singled out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arguing that the prime minister’s rhetoric has entrenched a false image of Iran among U.S. politicians. The president maintained that Iran’s nuclear activity is strictly peaceful and repeated that his government has issued no order to build atomic weapons. Addressing the state-sanctioned chant 'Death to America,' Pezeshkian said the slogan targets U.S. 'crimes, killing and carnage' rather than the American public or its officials. He added that Iran does not intend to harm former President Donald Trump or other current or past U.S. leaders, countering past statements by other Iranian figures. The remarks have drawn scrutiny because Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei previously linked the slogan directly to Trump. The contrasting messages underscore the gulf between the government’s diplomatic outreach and hard-line rhetoric that has long complicated negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.