Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for an end to the months-long war with the United States, saying Tehran should seek to stop the conflict from what he described as a position of strength and dignity.
His comments came as diplomatic talks remained stalled, Oman and Iran discussed conditions for renewed negotiations, and Washington prepared a new sanctions campaign against Tehran.
What Pezeshkian said about ending the war
Speaking at a meeting with doctors on Friday, Pezeshkian said Iran should bring the war to an end because it was in a position of power. He also claimed that the world recognised Iran’s victory and condemned US attacks on schools, hospitals and infrastructure.
Pezeshkian’s authority as president is ultimately subordinate to that of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He also defended a memorandum of understanding agreed with Washington in June after hardline lawmakers accused his administration of making concessions. Pezeshkian said the agreement contained no clause indicating capitulation and that its commitments applied to the other side.
Related coverage: Trump says no Iran talks are planned amid Hormuz standoff.
Military warnings and the Strait of Hormuz
The call for an end to the war was accompanied by a warning from Iran’s military leadership that the country remained ready to respond to new threats. Major-General Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, said the military was prepared across land, sea, air, air defence and cyberspace to deliver what he called severe responses.
Oman’s state news agency said the Omani and Iranian foreign ministers discussed creating suitable conditions for renewed dialogue and negotiations. They also discussed developments affecting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran continues to keep the key waterway partially shut while Washington maintains a naval counterblockade.
Washington prepares economic pressure
Reports in US media said the US Navy had been organising and protecting secret tanker convoys through the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, allowing between five million and 10 million barrels of oil a day to be exported. US President Donald Trump said Washington had control over the region and argued that Iran was not ready to make what he considered the right deal.
More context: Iran weighs economic survival as Washington threatens harsher sanctions.
Trump has warned of economic consequences for countries that provide Iran with any type of lifeline. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said Washington would seek to collapse the Iranian government through sanctions and is due to outline planned measures at a Treasury news conference on Monday.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the proposed sanctions as economic terrorism and said those responsible deserved trial and punishment. China’s Foreign Ministry also criticised sanctions and pressure, saying the dispute should be addressed through political and diplomatic means.
Also read: What ship traffic reveals about control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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