Iran's president says country is in 'full-scale war' with US, Israel and Europe as nuclear tensions escalate
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued the chilling proclamation in an interview with the state-controlled media on Saturday, saying that Iran is ready for 'total war' with the West.
Iran's president says his country is in a 'full-scale war' with the US, Israel and Europe as the hostile nation looks to rebuild its nuclear capabilities.
President Masoud Pezeshkian issued the chilling proclamation in an interview with the state-controlled media on Saturday, saying that he believes Iran is already at war with the West.
'We are in a full-scale war with the US, Israel and Europe; they don’t want our country to remain stable,' Pezeshkian said.
Pezeshkian referenced Iran's devastating war with Iraq from 1980 to 1988, in which upwards of a million people were killed, as he said conflict with the West could escalate even more dramatically.
'This war is worse than the one launched against us by Iraq. On closer inspection, it is far more complex and difficult,' he continued.
'During the war with Iraq, the situation was clear: they fired missiles, and we knew exactly where we were responding. But now, we are being surrounded from every angle.'
The remarks come as Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, where Iran is expected to be a key topic in the talks.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared 'total war' with the US, Israel and Europe as the hostile nation looks to rebuild its nuclear capabilities
Pezeshkian accused the West of trying to bring Iran 'to its knees' months after President Trump launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, which military experts said significantly set back the nation's capabilities but did not entirely destroy its nuclear programs
The issue of Iran's continued efforts to possess nuclear weapons saw the nation hit with fresh sanctions from the UN in recent weeks.
The threat of Iran's nuclear ambitions saw Donald Trump launch historic strikes on Iranian facilities in June, which military experts said significantly set back the nation's capabilities but did not entirely destroy its nuclear programs.
Pezeshkian brushed off the impact of Trump's strikes in June in his latest remarks, and said Iran's military has rebuilt to a stronger position than it was in before the conflict.
'Our beloved 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 attacked,' he said.
'So if they want to attack, they will naturally face a more decisive response.'
Pezeshkian's hardline remarks come as the Iranian president has faced scrutiny in his nation in recent weeks for comments he made to university students.
When asked about Iran's struggling economy, Pezeshkian said that he was powerless to turn it around despite being president.