Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for an end to the months-long war with the United States, saying Tehran should conclude the conflict from a position of strength and dignity on August 21. “It is better that we bring the war to an end now as we are in a position of power and dignity,” Pezeshkian said in remarks to doctors in Tehran, asserting that the world has acknowledged Iran’s victory in the conflict.
Pezeshkian defended the interim memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the US in June, describing it as “dignified” and claiming that Iran had made no concessions while the US had taken on “all obligations.” The 14-point agreement was designed to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lay the foundation for broader peace talks, according to reporting on the deal.
Pezeshkian’s comments reflect an internal debate within Iran’s leadership over how much longer the country can sustain the conflict amid mounting economic pressure. As the economy minister, Pezeshkian is responsible for managing Iran’s finances but does not control wartime military strategy, a role held by the Revolutionary Guards and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s office.
The June agreement collapsed within a month. Disagreements erupted almost immediately over who controlled shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran targeting vessels that did not follow approved corridors. The US responded with strikes on Iranian military sites, and both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire. On July 7, Trump declared the agreement “over” as US attacks continued.
The memorandum expired on August 17, leaving negotiations deadlocked. Joey Hood, the former acting director of the Office of Iranian Affairs at the US State Department, told Al Jazeera the agreement “was doomed to fail” because of ambiguous wording that allowed Iran to claim sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon’s future. Khalid Al-Jaber, executive director of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, noted that the agreement’s fundamental problem was that “it allowed Washington and Tehran to interpret key provisions differently and, in effect, allowed both sides to present the outcome as a victory.”
Meanwhile, Trump announced a fresh campaign of “economic warfare” against Iran this week. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would seek to “collapse” the Islamic Republic with what he called “the toughest sanctions in history.” Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded by calling US sanctions “economic terrorism” and “crimes against humanity.”
The economic toll on Iran is mounting. Abdolnaser Hemmati, Iran’s central bank governor, said this week that the country’s oil exports have halted entirely, affecting oil sales revenues. “It is a reality that we are not exporting oil,” he said. “The Americans have frozen our foreign exchange reserves and do not allow us to access them.” Yaser Mirzaei, deputy head of Iran’s Energy Optimisation Organisation, added that the country faced “limitations” in fuel imports and had been “significantly drawing from reserves” to meet demand.
Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator, warned that military strength alone cannot sustain the country. Speaking in Iraq on Friday, he said: “No matter how strong we are militarily, if the people are hungry and we do not have financial circulation, economic growth and domestic production, we will not endure. We must plan to overcome these oppressive sanctions.”
The regime’s military decision-makers, including the Revolutionary Guards, have insisted that Washington cannot be trusted and that Iran can resist economic pressure and extract a greater cost before agreeing to a final settlement. However, officials like Pezeshkian have grown more vocal about the need for a negotiated end to the conflict while Iran still holds leverage. The Supreme Leader’s recent appointment of Mohsen Rezaei, a former Guards commander, as the country’s top security official has been interpreted by analysts as a sign that negotiation-focused figures like Ghalibaf have been sidelined in favor of harder-line voices.
Sources
- Financial Times — Pezeshkian’s August 21 call to end war from position of strength; debate within Iranian regime over economic pressure; details on MoU defense; statements from Hemmati and Mirzaei on oil exports and reserves.
- Al Jazeera — Collapse of June 17 MoU; Article 5 shipping route disputes; breakdowns and violations by both sides; expert analysis from Hood and Al-Jaber on ambiguous wording and failure mechanisms.
- Yahoo News — Verbatim quote from Pezeshkian: “It is better that we bring the war to an end now as we are in a position of power and dignity.”
- The Hill — Pezeshkian’s statement that world has accepted Tehran’s victory over US.
- DW — Pezeshkian’s position of strength framing on August 21.
- Middle East Eye — Pezeshkian’s statement on not bowing to bullying despite seeking peace.
