Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that the war between the United States and Iran should end, adding that the international community had accepted Tehran’s “victory” in the conflict.
Speaking ahead of new US economic sanctions expected next week, Pezeshkian made the remarks in comments reported by Iranian state media. The Iranian President said the world had “approved our victory”, while stating that the United States was “hated”, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Pezeshkian Calls for War to End
Pezeshkian argued that the dispute should conclude because, in his view, Iran’s position had been endorsed internationally. The comments were framed as pressure for an end to hostilities between Tehran and Washington.
Trump Signals More Economic Pressure
The remarks come after US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration would launch what he called the “most crushing economic operation ever” against Iran.
The announcement was made while negotiations continue over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping passage that carries around a fifth of the world’s oil consumption during peacetime. Trump said the operation would involve stopping a range of financial and shipping-related activities linked to Iran.
In a post on Truth Social, he wrote that “oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies” should stop, addressing unspecified recipients of the message. He also described the effort as an “ECONOMIC D-DAY” and said he needed allies to stand with the United States to isolate and defeat what he described as the “Iran threat”.
Strait Of Hormuz Under Strain
The strait has been effectively closed as a result of Iranian counterstrikes and a US naval blockade, according to the article. Iran and Oman share joint jurisdiction over the waterway, but Trump has threatened to change its status and make it US territory during the ongoing talks.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to set out details of the new economic sanctions on Monday. Speaking to CNBC on Thursday, Bessent said the strategy would combine the existing blockade with sanctions, describing it as a “one-two punch”.
He said the administration would impose what he characterised as the toughest sanctions in history and that the approach would “work” in Iran.
Iran Rejects Sanctions Plans
Iranian officials rejected the US measures and criticised the timing and stated rationale. Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that the anticipated penalties were intended to distract from domestic US concerns about the cost of living.
On social media, he referred to the US plan as a “so-called ‘Economic D-Day’” and said it was a diversion from what he described as America’s own crisis, including unprecedented debt and rising interest costs. Araghchi said continuing with “failed policies” would lead to further defeat and to “enmity of Iranians”.
He also said the US approach amounted to “economic terrorism” that threatened the global economy and sovereignty worldwide.
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23 August 2026
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