Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian says the United States must stop hostilities toward his country before holding any direct talks with Tehran.

On Monday in Tehran, Pezeshkian held his first news conference since taking office in July.

Pezeshkian said what can be said with certainty is that, since he took office, Iran has not provided Russia with anything that could serve as a reason for Western countries to impose sanctions on his country. The US and European nations announced new sanctions on Iran earlier this month, accusing the country of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia.

Asked about the possibility of holding direct talks with the US president, Pezeshkian replied that the Americans must first show that they do not have any hostility toward Iran. He said Iran has no animosity toward the US, but the US has closed all paths.

Pezeshkian has expressed readiness to improve ties with Western countries. But tensions between Iran and the US are growing due not only to the situation in Ukraine, but also the conflict in the Gaza Strip, where Iran-backed Hamas is confronting Israel.