Iran president says country is engaged in full-fledged war with the United States, Israel and Europe

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Saturday that Tehran is effectively locked in a ‘full-fledged war’ with the United States, Israel and European powers, accusing them of trying to bring down his government through sustained political, economic and military pressure. 

Speaking in an interview published on the official website of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pezeshkian portrayed the current international confrontation as more challenging and multidimensional than Iran’s eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s. 

He argued that Washington, Jerusalem and European capitals are surrounding Iran on all fronts through the use of sanctions, diplomatic isolation and other tools to undermine Iranian stability and sovereignty.

“In my opinion, we are in a full-fledged war with America, Israel and Europe. They do not want our country to stand on its feet,” Pezeshkian said, according to Al Jazeera and other outlets.

“Our dear military forces are doing their jobs with strength, and now, in terms of equipment and manpower, despite all the problems we have, they are stronger than when they [Israel and the US] attacked,” he said.

The Iranian economy has struggled under renewed Western sanctions tied to its nuclear program and other geopolitical disputes, with inflation high and the national currency weak. Pezeshkian said these measures are part of an effort to destabilize the country, but insisted that Iran will persevere if it remains united domestically.