Overview
- Masoud Pezeshkian made the assertion in an interview published on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s official website, casting the confrontation as worse than the 1980s Iran–Iraq war.
- He accused Western powers of besieging Iran economically, politically, culturally and on security, and said they seek to bring the country to its knees.
- Pezeshkian warned that any new U.S. or Israeli attack would face a more decisive response and claimed Iran’s forces are stronger than before June’s fighting.
- The statement lands just as Israeli media and U.S. outlets report Netanyahu plans to brief President Trump on options targeting Iran’s missile program.
- The rhetoric follows a June 12‑day conflict in which U.S. and Israeli strikes hit Iranian nuclear sites with about 1,000 deaths reported by Iranian authorities, September’s UN sanctions snapback by France, Britain and Germany, and Western and Israeli reports of Iran rebuilding missile and air‑defense capabilities with unusual activity observed in Iranian airspace.