Iran president says time to end war while Tehran is in position of strength

Introduction

As the conflict between Iran and the United States nears its sixth month, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for an end to the war, asserting that Tehran is negotiating from a position of power and dignity. His remarks come as Washington prepares to announce what it calls the toughest sanctions in history, a move Tehran dismisses as a sign of desperation. The two sides exchanged defiant messages this weekend, with talks remaining stalled and oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz virtually halted.

Pezeshkian's Call for Peace

Speaking at a meeting with doctors on Friday, Pezeshkian said, "It is better that we bring the war to an end now as we are in a position of power and dignity." He added that "the whole world acknowledges our victory and emphasises that America has attacked our schools, hospitals and infrastructure in violation of all regulations and is hated around the world." The president, whose authority is ultimately subordinate to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, also defended the June memorandum of understanding agreed with Washington against hardline critics in parliament. "They cannot find even a single clause in this agreement that indicates capitulation. All the commitments concern the other side," he said.

According to the New York Post, Pezeshkian said he had been with the slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed by US and Israeli strikes on February 28, and that Khamenei had publicly announced the need to leave the situation of "neither war nor peace." Acknowledging internal divisions, the New York Post reported that Pezeshkian has been accused by some lawmakers of capitulating. One of them, Mahmoud Nabavian, responded on X, questioning, as reported by the New York Post, "What do you mean when you say we should end the war now? Did we start the war? Should we beg Trump and Netanyahu to end the war..."

Defiance and Sanctions

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi dismissed the threat of new US sanctions as a sign of desperation. In a video posted on Telegram, Araqchi said that US leaders' move from military operations to "the same old plans shows that they are desperate," and that Washington must speak to Iran respectfully to find a solution. The US Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, who is due to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. EDT on Monday, has threatened to impose "the toughest sanctions in history" on Iran, a phrase repeated across multiple sources. The US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington was observing "what happens" in the conflict, saying of Iran, "They would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion." Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, described the imminent announcement as an "assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty over every independent member state of the United Nations," and claimed the secondary sanctions are illegal.

The Strait of Hormuz and the War's Toll

The war, which began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28, has taken a heavy toll. Iran's economy has been under pressure, its infrastructure has been repeatedly hit, and thousands of people for its part are killed since the conflict started, according to several reports. Tehran has brought shipping to a virtual standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, refusing to allow unauthorised tankers to transit the vital waterway, with the effective blockade pushing up global oil prices. Ship-tracking data showed that on Thursday only four commodity ships sailed along the strait, and none were large crude carriers or LNG tankers. Before the conflict, the strait handled about one-fifth of the world's oil and LNG supplies; US energy secretary Chris Wright said the US military helped move a seven-day average of 8 million barrels a day through the previous 20 million pre-war.

Pakistan's army chief is scheduled to visit Tehran on Monday as part of regional mediation efforts, as several reports noted a Pakistani government source says the trip will include discussion of the US sanctions threat.

Diplomatic Stalemate

Despite Pez's call, negotiations remain stalled. A memorandum of understanding agreed in June expired without a breakthrough, and the 60-day temporary ceasefire has passed. The two sides are not exchanging fire but also not pursuing peace talks, as Al-Monitor framed it recently. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also speaking about the strains, saying that no matter military power, if people are hungry, one cannot survive and lack financial turnover, etc.

As the US prepares to reveal new sanctions, with Bessent seeking cooperation from China—which buys 80% of Iran's shipped oil based on 2025 data—Beijing has urged diplomacy. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that "sanctions and pressure will not help resolve the issue."

The coming days will show whether Pez's call for dialogue resonates as Washington's economic push unfolds, but for now both sides remain trenchant in their public stance.