Pezeshkian assigns blame to US for collapse of Iran interim war agreement

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Washington is responsible for the failure of the interim agreement designed to end the conflict with the United States and Israel. Speaking in comments aired by Press TV on Saturday, Pezeshkian argued that both nations should return to the negotiating table to finalize the pact. His statement arrives as tensions escalate with military action potentially resuming within days.

The diplomatic strain follows remarks made by US President Donald Trump on Friday. Trump indicated he might launch another operation under the codename Epic Fury, the name used for the war that began on February 28. Iranian military leaders have issued strong warnings in response to these hints of renewed combat.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps cautioned that even limited US strikes would provoke a reaction several times greater in scale. This warning was reported by the Fars News Agency. Separately, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ali Abdollahi declared that US military forces would be barred from the Gulf region under any circumstances. He stated that Trump could only dream of seeing American troops enter the area and would take that dream to his grave.

Political pressure surrounds both leaders as they approach key voting dates. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed his goal of overthrowing the Iranian government ahead of Israeli elections scheduled for Tuesday. In the United States, Trump faces midterm elections on November 3, where Democrats have the potential to capture both the House of Representatives and the Senate. A loss for the Republican Party would mark a major setback for the president, who has more than two years remaining in his final term.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani emphasized that Tehran will not wait for permission to defend itself. She wrote in a memo that the country seeks peace but will respond to aggression with severe consequences. Mohajerani added that those who believe they can destroy Iran must correct their calculations.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei met with judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei on Saturday. The two discussed strategies to combat corruption and provide compensation to Iranians affected by the war. Khamenei has not appeared in public since assuming leadership in early March after his father was assassinated during the initial strikes on February 28. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was also reported to have met with Khamenei earlier in the week.