Iran’s president calls for end to war with US and Israel, claiming Tehran is winning

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used a medical conference in Tehran on August 21 to deliver a message that had nothing to do with medicine: stop the war. Addressing the ongoing military conflict with the United States and Israel, Pezeshkian called for an immediate end to hostilities, while simultaneously insisting that Iran is winning. The war, which began with US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure in late February 2026, has now dragged on for nearly six months with no clear resolution in sight. A stalemate with no off-ramp Pezeshkian framed the US and Israel as the aggressors, accusing both nations of violating international law through their strikes on Iranian targets. A June memorandum of understanding was supposed to chart a path toward ceasing hostilities. It didn’t work. Negotiations between Tehran and Washington have stalled. Pezeshkian has been careful to note that the June agreement contains no clauses requiring Iran to concede territory or strategic positions. In his telling, the obligations fall squarely on the United States. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has signaled plans to ratchet up economic pressure through additional sanctions, a move Tehra...