Pezeshkian Accuses Washington of Voiding Iran Truce

President Masoud Pezeshkian placed the burden for the collapse of the interim peace agreement squarely on the United States. His assessment arrived as regional tensions spiked over the possibility of renewed combat.

The most recent US military strike on Iranian soil took place ten days before Pezeshkian’s broadcast. This pause in direct fire has not settled the diplomatic dispute. Pezeshkian argued that Washington voided the pact, though he urged both nations to return to negotiations to finalize the terms. US President Donald Trump referred to the conflict using the codename Epic Fury, a label for the war that began on February 28. Trump stated on Friday that he might launch another operation, a remark that fueled speculation about attacks starting this weekend.

Military leaders in Tehran reacted with specific threats regarding the Persian Gulf. Ali Abdollahi, the chief of staff for the Iranian armed forces, declared that US forces would not enter the Gulf under any circumstances. He characterized the idea of American naval presence as a dream that Trump would take to his grave. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a warning through the semi official Fars News Agency. The group stated that limited strikes would provoke a response several times greater in scale.

Political calendars in both the West and the Middle East now intersect with the conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue efforts to overthrow the Iranian government. Israeli citizens will vote in elections on Tuesday to select their next government. In the United States, Republican midterm elections are scheduled for November 3. Democrats aim to take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, a result that would significantly impact Trump’s remaining two years in office.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the government spokesperson, outlined Tehran’s defensive posture in a memo. She stated that Iran would not wait for permission to defend itself. Mohajerani wrote that the country seeks peace but will respond to aggression with severe consequences. She added that those who believe they can destroy Iran must correct their calculations.

High level meetings continued in Tehran as the standoff persisted. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The two discussed corruption and compensation for war affected citizens. Khamenei assumed leadership after his father was assassinated during the initial strikes on February 28. He has not appeared in public since taking office in early March. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also met with Khamenei earlier in the week.