Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pushed back against international mediation efforts, saying that any countries seeking to broker a ceasefire should direct their pressure at those who started the conflict-
not Iran.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pezeshkian acknowledged that several countries had begun mediation attempts but said Tehran’s position was unambiguous.
“We are committed to lasting peace in the region, but we have no hesitation in defending the dignity and authority of our country,” he wrote. “The target of mediation should be those who started the fire by underestimating the Iranian people.”
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The statement signals that Iran will not be receptive to mediation efforts framed around restraining its own military response and instead wants international pressure redirected toward the United States and Israel.
Pezeshkian stopped short of identifying which countries had approached Tehran with mediation offers or naming those he held responsible for initiating the conflict. However, his reference to those who started the fire “by underestimating the Iranian people” is a pointed allusion to the US-Israeli military strikes that triggered the current escalation.
Read more: Why Russia Is Not Defending Iran Amid US-Israel War: 5 Reasons Explained
The conflict began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with sustained missile and drone attacks on American military installations across the region, setting off a rapidly escalating security crisis that has since drawn in Gulf energy exporters and threatened global oil supply.
Gulf energy exports face severe disruption, oil prices threaten to spike to $150 a barrel and the Strait of Hormuz remains under threat- raising the urgency of diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict before its economic consequences become irreversible.
