Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that his nation is engaged in what he characterized as a “” with the United States, Israel, and Europe.
In an interview published on Saturday by Iranian state media, Pezeshkian expressed his view that Western powers aim to bring Iran “to its knees,” as reported.
“From my perspective, we are in a state of total war with the United States, Israel, and Europe,” Pezeshkian said. “They seek to bring our country to its knees.”
Pezeshkian argued that the current conflict is more complex than the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, noting his country is now under pressure “from every angle,” according to The Times of Israel.
“If one understands it clearly, this war is far more intricate and arduous than that conflict. During the war with Iraq, the situation was straightforward—they fired missiles, and we knew where to target,” Pezeshkian said, according to .
“Here, they are besieging us across all dimensions, creating challenges for us in terms of daily life, culturally, politically, and in security matters.”
Despite the strain, Pezeshkian claimed Iran’s military emerged stronger following its June conflict with Israel, as per The Times of Israel.
“Our esteemed are performing their duties with resolve, and currently, in terms of equipment and personnel, despite all our challenges, they are stronger than they were at the time of the attack. So if they choose to attack again, they will naturally face a more decisive response,” he said.
The interview with Pezeshkian was released ahead of a planned meeting later this week at Mar-a-Lago between Israeli Prime Minister and President Donald Trump, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Tensions remain heightened following a brief but intense air conflict in June initiated by Israel.
The fighting resulted in approximately 1,100 deaths in Iran, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, while Iranian missile attacks killed 28 people in the Jewish State.
On June 22, President announced U.S. forces had launched attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
“Our objective was to destroy Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and halt the nuclear threat posed by the world’s leading state sponsor of terror,” the president said. “Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key have been entirely obliterated.”
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on June 24.
Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.