Iran's President has dramatically declared his nation to be in a state of "full-scale war" with the United States, Israel, and Europe, framing the confrontation as more severe than the devastating 1980s conflict with Iraq.
A Declaration of Conflict
In an interview published on the official website of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, President Masoud Pezeshkian made his stark assessment. "We are in a full-scale war with the US, Israel and Europe; they do not want our country to stand on its feet," he stated. He argued this modern conflict is "more complicated and more difficult" than the brutal eight-year war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which resulted in over a million casualties on both sides.
Pezeshkian contrasted the two situations, explaining that during the Iran-Iraq War, the battlefield was clear. "In the war with Iraq, the situation was clear: they fired missiles, and I also knew where to hit," he said. Today, he claims, the West is besieging Iran from every angle, creating difficulties and constraints in livelihood, culture, politics, and security, while simultaneously raising public expectations.
Timing Before High-Stakes Talks
The president's inflammatory remarks come just two days before a planned meeting between former US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is visiting the United States, and Iran is anticipated to be a central topic in their discussions.
This follows a significant escalation in June, when a 12-day air war involving Israel and the US killed nearly 1,100 Iranians, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran's retaliatory missile barrages killed 28 people in Israel. According to reports from NBC, Netanyahu is expected to brief Trump on possible new strikes against Iran, amid ongoing Israeli concerns over Tehran's expanding ballistic missile programme.
Supreme Leader Echoes Defiant Stance
Adding to the bellicose rhetoric, Ayatollah Khamenei himself issued a statement for the 2025 annual meeting of the Union of Islamic Student Associations in Europe. He claimed that Iran had successfully overcome a "heavy assault" by the US military. "The heavy assault by the US army and its disgraceful extension in this region was overcome by the initiative, courage, and sacrifice of the young people of Islamic Iran," the Supreme Leader declared.
President Pezeshkian concluded his interview with a call for national unity to address the multifaceted pressure, stating, "Consequently, we must all help with all our might to fix the country." This declaration sets a tense backdrop for the imminent diplomatic talks between two of Iran's foremost adversaries.
