Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Saturday that his country is currently engaged in a "full-scale war" with the United States, Israel, and Europe. The remarks come just days before a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In an interview published on the official website of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pezeshkian characterised the current conflict as being "more complicated and more difficult" than the devastating Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, which resulted in over one million casualties on both sides.
"We are in a full-scale war with the US, Israel and Europe; they don’t want our country to remain stable," Pezeshkian stated, emphasising the severity of the geopolitical pressure Tehran is facing.
The President’s sharp rhetoric precedes a scheduled meeting between Trump and Netanyahu in the United States on Monday, where strategy regarding Iran is expected to be a central topic of discussion.
The region remains volatile following a severe escalation earlier this year. According to reports, a "12-day air war" in June saw Israeli and US strikes kill nearly 1,100 Iranians, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. In retaliation, missile barrages launched by Iran resulted in 28 deaths in Israel.
(Inputs from AP)