Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday declared that the country is in a “full-scale war” with the United States, saying Tehran will not retreat from its rights or principles as hostilities between the two countries continue to intensify.
In a public address, Pezeshkian said the confrontation with Washington was not limited to missile exchanges but had evolved into a comprehensive hybrid war targeting Iran’s economy, livelihoods and national unity.
He urged Iranians to brace for the consequences of the conflict, saying resistance against the United States would inevitably come at a cost.
“The reality is that today the Islamic Republic of Iran is engaged in a full-scale war,” Pezeshkian said. “We must be realistic and accept the natural consequences of this resistance.” He also argued that military action had failed to force Iran into submission.
“The enemy has come to the conclusion that military strikes cannot compel the Iranian nation to surrender,” he said.
Reaffirming Tehran’s determination to continue confronting the United States, the president declared: “We will stand to the last breath in defense of our country and the interests of the nation and have no doubt in this path.”
Referring to the simultaneous pressure from external military action and domestic economic challenges, he described tackling both as “an unavoidable necessity.”
The president accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to prevent the country from emerging as an independent regional power.
“They do not want an independent, powerful, and successful country to emerge in this region,” he said, acknowledging that confronting foreign pressure while addressing internal problems would remain difficult.
Pezeshkian also defended the Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington in June, insisting that Iran had not compromised on any of its core principles despite the agreement.
He rejected criticism that the understanding had benefited the United States at Iran’s expense.
“The Islamic Republic did not compromise on its rights, principles, national interests, revolutionary values and beliefs in any of the 14 paragraphs of the MoU,” he said.
According to the president, a careful review of the agreement showed that “most of its achievements are beneficial to the country.”
“Practically, no paragraph could be found that has created a one-sided advantage for the American side,” he added.
The remarks come as fighting between the United States and Iran continues despite the June agreement whose opening provision called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Iran says the United States has repeatedly violated the agreement since President Donald Trump announced a unilateral ceasefire on April 7, accusing Washington of continuing military operations against Iranian territory.
The conflict has increasingly shifted to civilian infrastructure, with the United States expanding its campaign to strike bridges, ports and power facilities across southern Iran, while Tehran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US military bases across the Middle East.The prolonged confrontation has also deepened Iran’s economic crisis.
Official figures showed inflation accelerated sharply during June amid the conflict, reaching nearly 90 per cent year-on-year, while July figures are yet to be released.
The worsening economic situation follows months of public unrest that began over soaring living costs before evolving into wider anti-government protests earlier this year. The violent protests were publically instigated and fueled by the United States and Israel.
Despite mounting economic pressures, Pezeshkian insisted Iran would neither retreat from its national rights nor abandon its principles under military or political pressure, saying the country remained committed to defending its independence regardless of the costs.
