Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted Saturday that the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had supported a diplomatic resolution to Iran's long-standing conflict with the United States. Pezeshkian stated that Khamenei publicly expressed a desire to move past a situation of "neither war nor peace."
"With strength, but with logic, we can sit down and resolve our problems," Pezeshkian said, according to Iran International. The president has advocated for a diplomatic path, though negotiations with the U.S. have stalled since a 60-day temporary ceasefire expired without a peace agreement. Pezeshkian's stance has faced internal opposition, with accusations of capitulation arising as Washington prepares to implement new sanctions against Iran.
"It is better that we bring the war to an end now as we are in a position of power and dignity," Pezeshkian stated Friday. This approach was met with criticism from some Iranian lawmakers. For example, Mahmoud Nabavian questioned the strategy on X, asking if it would signal weakness to adversaries and prompt further aggression. "Should we beg [Donald] Trump and [Benjamin] Netanyahu to end the war and not attack us?" Nabavian reportedly asked. "Wouldn’t sending a signal of weakness make the enemy bolder?"
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike in Tehran on February 28. The current supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is described by some as more hardline than his predecessor.