Pezeshkian Says Iran Should End War Now 'From a Position of Power and Dignity'

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told a press conference in Tehran that it would be better for Iran to bring the war to an end now, arguing Tehran is negotiating from strength: 'It is better to end the war today, when we are in power and dignity, and the whole world acknowledges our victory.' He added that 'all our commanders and armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country with all their might' if fighting resumes, and stressed that the June memorandum of understanding with the US was 'honourable' and did not amount to capitulation. The remarks came as reports suggested reduced near-term escalation risk, with analysts framing Washington's fresh sanctions push as a delaying tactic ahead of the US midterm elections. Oil traders read the comments as a mild de-escalation signal; Brent crude was 'little changed' near $93-94/bbl in the session.