Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that his nation is in a “full-scale” or “full-fledged” war with the United States, Israel, and Europe. He said this during a lengthy interview posted on the official website of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His remarks come just days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, where Iran will be a major topic of conversation.
Who Is Pezeshkian and Where Did This Come From
Masoud Pezeshkian is the Iranian president who came into office after former President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in 2024. He was elected in a race with the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. Often viewed as more moderate than many of Iran’s hardliners, he now finds himself defending a regime under great pressure. His “full-fledged war” comments came while speaking directly under the shadow of Iran’s supreme leadership structure, signaling that his message was meant to reflect the official stance of the regime itself.
Pezeshkian said the situation today is worse than Iran’s brutal war with Iraq in the 1980s. In that conflict, casualties climbed beyond one million and entire regions were devastated. Today’s war, he says, is harder because it is not only military. He claims the West is attacking Iran economically, politically, culturally, and socially. According to him, Western powers do not want Iran “to stand on its feet” and are trying to suffocate the country from every angle.
He said Iran’s military is strong and prepared to respond if attacked again. He warned that if the U.S. and Israel strike Iran in the future, they will face a “more decisive response.”
Recent Conflict
Six months earlier, Israel and then the United States bombed Iran during a 12-day conflict. The strikes hit key nuclear facilities, air defense systems, military bases, and Revolutionary Guard Corps locations. More than 1,000 Iranians were killed, including senior commanders, scientists, and key security figures. Iran launched missiles at Israel in response, and those strikes killed 28 people.
While Pezeshkian portrays Iran as standing strong, the truth is hard to ignore. The regime remains in place, but its nuclear program was smashed to the point that Iranian officials now admit they currently have no active uranium enrichment because their facilities were destroyed. Iran’s nuclear chief has even blocked International Atomic Energy Agency inspections because there is little left to inspect. Iran claims its nuclear plans were peaceful, but the U.S., Israel, and Europe never believed that story.
The U.S., Israel, and Europe Respond
From Washington to Jerusalem to European capitals, the message is consistent. Iran was struck hard because it was pursuing dangerous nuclear and missile ambitions. Trump has warned that if Iran tries to rebuild its programs without an agreement, they will be destroyed again. Netanyahu has been blunt in saying Iran remains a major threat and has not ruled out future action. Europe has reimposed sanctions because Iran has not been transparent and continues to play games with international monitors.
Meanwhile, Iran’s economy is sinking. Its currency has dropped sharply. Protests have broken out. Business owners are shutting their doors in frustration. For a government that claims victory, it does not look very victorious.
A Government Hit Hard but Pretending Otherwise
Iran was attacked. That part is true. But what Pezeshkian does not seem to recognize is that this “war” he speaks of already happened and Iran lost the round that mattered most. Its military and nuclear power were crippled. Its leadership survived, but survival is not success. Instead of admitting reality, Iran’s leaders now act like they are in some grand historic struggle, when what actually happened was simple. The West hit them, their abilities were smashed, and now they are shouting to look strong.
Iran keeps talking like a country standing tall on the battlefield. Yet the battlefield tells another story. The regime is damaged, weakened, and struggling to hold its people together. Iran’s leaders may keep calling this a war, but it is a strange kind of war where the rulers pretend they won while their country pays the price.
NP Editor: I understand why the West and Israel were restrained in taking out the Iranian government, but we will not have that luxury in the future. A government with this kind of cognitive dissonance is dangerous to us and to its own people. Multiple terrorist organizations could spring from this conflict if it is not resolved.
