Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that Tehran has no intention of making concessions to its adversaries and called for an end to what he described as a prolonged state of “no war, no peace” with the United States and Israel.
Pezeshkian said Iranian officials were holding near-daily discussions on how to move beyond the current standoff and reach an understanding that would preserve the country’s principles while deterring further attacks, according to the official IRNA news agency. He said continued warfare offered no solution but that the drawn-out uncertainty over whether hostilities could resume was also inflicting economic damage on Iran.
The remarks echo comments Pezeshkian made earlier this month, when he said Tehran believed it was negotiating from a position of strength and that the time was right to reach an agreement with Washington. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has separately set a series of conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including a demand that the United States halt threats against Iran, complicating efforts toward a broader de-escalation.
Iran and Oman have been pursuing a separate arrangement aimed at reopening the strait, a key global oil transit route that Tehran closed during the conflict. Iranian officials have repeatedly said the country would not be forced into concessions through military pressure, even as they acknowledge the toll that sanctions and the ongoing confrontation with the U.S. and Israel have taken on Iran’s economy.
The comments come as Washington prepares to announce a new round of sanctions on Monday aimed at further isolating Iran’s economy, part of a broader U.S. pressure campaign that officials in Washington have said is intended to compel Tehran back to the negotiating table.
