Iranian president says Tehran in 'full-scale war', US govt seeking to overcome difficulties
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the United States "has no way forward other than dialogue with the Iranian nation with respect, solution based on justice, dignity," Iran's state-owned Press TV reported.
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) August 23, 2026
🔺 US has no way forward other than dialogue with Iranian nation with respect, solution based on justice, dignity
Follow: https://t.co/mLGcUTS2ei pic.twitter.com/Nup2rj7wv7
Separately, Iran's ISNA news agency posted on X that Araghchi termed US President Donald Trump's "economic war" "the same old American bullying."
"The economic war is a repetitive scenario and the same perennial bullying in American policies This is a repetitive film that we have seen many times and we know how to confront it," ISNA quoted Araghchi as saying.
عراقچی: جنگ اقتصادی ترامپ همان قُلدری تکراری آمریکاست
— خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) August 23, 2026
-جنگ اقتصادی یک سناریوی تکراری و همان قلدری همیشگی در سیاستهای آمریکاست
این فیلم تکراری است که بارها دیدهایم و میدانیم چگونه باید با آن مقابله کنیم ۱/۲
In another post, it noted that the foreign minister said that "America has returned to old schemes of military threats and claims of attacks and strikes," which he stated "shows that it has become desperate in the face of the Iranian nation and has no new solution."
عراقچی: اینکه آمریکا از تهدیدهای نظامی و ادعای حمله و ضربهزدن، دوباره به طرحهای قدیمی بازگشته، نشان میدهد در برابر ملت ایران مستأصل شده و راهکار تازهای ندارد ۲/۲
— خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) August 23, 2026
Earlier, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir would visit Tehran on Monday.
Pakistan has taken on a mediator role in negotiations between Iran and the US aimed at ending the war which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
The visit aims to bolster bilateral cooperation and build on "Pakistan’s efforts to help strengthen peace and security in the region," Baghaei said in remarks carried by Iran's state-run news agency IRNA, Anadolu reported.
Baghaei added that CDF Munir would hold discussions with senior Iranian officials during the trip.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will visit Tehran on Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional peace and security with senior Iranian officials.
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) August 23, 2026
Follow: https://t.co/7Dg3b41hTx pic.twitter.com/UZBFo2bpQT
Two Pakistani government sources confirmed CDF Munir's visit to Reuters, with the first source saying that Iran and Pakistan were in direct contact.
A second source said the talks would also address recent developments in the conflict, including US President Donald Trump's threat of tougher sanctions on Iran.
"He (CDF Munir) will discuss peace under Islamabad's MoU, Trump’s warning and the situation after the Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi Arab Agreement and Houthi issues with Iranian leaders," the source said.
The announcement of CDF Munir's visit came after the field marshal and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation early on Sunday.
Foreign Minister @araghchi and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir discussed regional developments and effective ways to strengthen peace, stability and security in West Asia.#Iran #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/c6G4l5aqow
— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) August 22, 2026
According to an X post by the Iranian government, the two "discussed regional developments and effective ways to strengthen peace, stability and security in West Asia."
Isfahan nuclear plant was first target of US, Israeli assaults: Iran nuclear chief
The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) said that the nuclear fuel production plant in Isfahan was the first target of military assaults by the US and Israel during their wars of aggression against the Islamic Republic over the past year, IRNA reported on Sunday.
Mohammad Eslami said the plant produces the fuel required by the Tehran Research Reactor. “The Tehran reactor is a research reactor and is mainly used for research and production work related to radiopharmaceuticals,” Eslami said, according to IRNA.
He added that a radiopharmaceutical production facility was also among the facilities hit in the air raids.
Isfahan nuclear fuel plant was first target of US-Israeli assaults: Nuclear chiefhttps://t.co/8ouZZIG7ww pic.twitter.com/7oMlkeunru
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) August 23, 2026
The head further pointed to the bombing of an oxygen-18 production line at the Khondab complex, saying the material was needed for PET scans and was produced domestically to support Tehran's PET scan services.
According to IRNA, Eslami said the acts of aggression were “a clear and naked symbol of their school of thought,” arguing that the targets were scientific activities whose products are used by the public.
Tehran executes man for 'aiding' US, Israel in anti-govt protests
Iran executed a man accused of carrying a chainsaw during anti-government protests in January. The man was charged with acting as an agent of Israel and the United States, according to AFP.
As per the judiciary, Majid Adineh had been convicted of “operational action in favour of hostile groups” in rallies that broke out in Iran late last year, spreading across the nation.
Adineh was accused of “deliberate arson, gathering and collusion with the intention of committing crimes against the country’s internal security”, the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said in a report cited by AFP.
The report further stated that “based on numerous documents and evidence in the case and the defendant’s statements, the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death and confiscation of all his property.”
Iran warned neighbouring countries on Saturday against joining the US' “economic war,” threatening to target their interests and prevent oil exports from the Gulf if they cooperate with Washington.
“We tell all neighboring countries not to participate in the economic war with the US; otherwise, we will consider them an enemy,” said Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaee, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
“We are not seeking to expand the war, but if the countries surrounding Iran join the Americans in the economic war, we will strike their interests,” he added.
Rezaee warned that if neighboring countries cooperated with the US campaign, “not a single drop of oil will leave the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz.”
He said Iran would also target other routes used to export oil from the Gulf. “If Trump wants to take action, we will respond in kind with earthquake-like force,” Rezaee said
Rezaee said the Strait of Hormuz remains closed despite US claims to the contrary and would not reopen until Washington “corrects its behavior.”
“This time, it is the United States that must first fulfill its commitments,” he said.
Rezaee said Iran accounts for more than 50% of the Gulf coastline and that it should therefore manage the Strait of Hormuz.
He added that Iran seeks an end to the war in West Asia and “stands against warmongers around the world.”
US President Donald Trump announced this week his intention to launch “the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,” describing his maximum-pressure campaign against Iran as “Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale.”
Iran in ‘full-scale war,' says President Pezeshkian
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Tehran was in "a full-scale war," stating that the government was seeking to overcome difficulties.
“We are in a full-scale economic, military and security war," Pezeshkian said in a televised speech carried by the state-run news agency IRNA.
The government is “ashamed” that there are problems in the economy, he added.
"(US President Donald) Trump easily says that they will impose the most crushing or the most terrible sanctions on Iran,” Pezeshkian stated, adding that Tehran is "standing firm" and striving to serve the Iranian people amid what he called an “unequal war.”
“The enemy had assessed that if Iran falls, it will become Venezuela. Not only did it not happen, but it became a power that amazed the world with its resistance, solidarity and cohesion," the president asserted.
🔴 Iran's President Pezeshkian delivers speech marking beginning of Government Week:
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) August 23, 2026
🔺 They sought to turn Iran into another Venezuela, but instead, Iran emerged as a power that amazed the world with its resistance, solidarity & unity. Our people achieved something remarkable. pic.twitter.com/PIkr4IZEiF
Tehran was working "with all our might to avoid division, conflicts and egos," he also said. Pezeshkian added that the Iranian people had achieved “something remarkable” through their resilience and unity.
Kuwait condemns Israeli drone strike on civilian car near Damascus
Kuwait condemned an Israeli drone attack on a civilian car in a village southwest of Damascus that injured several civilians, Al Jazeera reported.
“The ministry renews its call upon the international community and the Security Council to fulfil their responsibilities in halting the repeated Israeli occupation aggressions against Syrian territories,” Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry says in a statement on social media.
Israel defends the strike, saying it targeted “terrorists” and was carried out in response to “an immediate threat to our forces”.
The incident marks Israel’s second reported attack on Syria within a week.
Iran says Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until US changes behaviour
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Major General Mohsen Rezaei has warned that any country participating in the US-led economic blockade will face consequences, IRNA news agency reported.
“If the blockade continues, we will not allow a single drop of Persian Gulf oil to leave via any route,” Rezaei said, adding that Iran had not yet targeted US economic interests but that the option remained available if hostile actions continued.
Top security official: Strait of Hormuz remains closed until US changes its behaviorhttps://t.co/SUFzVLBsbl pic.twitter.com/l0jzmFrGO1
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) August 22, 2026
On the Strait of Hormuz, Rezaei said: “The Strait of Hormuz is closed and will not reopen until the US changes its behaviour and honours its commitments; they must first take concrete action.”
Iran, Egypt FMs discuss regional tensions, efforts to restore stability
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, discussed the latest developments in West Asia and ways to restore regional stability, IRNA news agency reported.
In a telephone conversation late on Saturday, the ministers exchanged views on developments in the region, including the situation in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, it added.
Foreign Minister @araghchi and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, have held a phone conversation to discuss the latest regional developments and explore ways to restore peace and stability in West Asia.https://t.co/tUlMeEA8c9 pic.twitter.com/BFtfSU700p
— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) August 22, 2026
They also discussed recent diplomatic efforts to "de-escalate regional tensions" and explored ways to promote "peace and stability" in West Asia.
Iranian president says Tehran will not make concessions
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that Tehran has no intention of making concessions and stressed the need to move beyond what he called a “no war, no peace” situation, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.
Pezeshkian said Iranian officials were discussing almost daily how to move beyond the situation and reach an understanding that would preserve Iran’s principles and values, while deterring adversaries from contemplating another attack.
He said war offered no solution, while prolonged uncertainty about whether fighting could resume was also taking an economic toll on the country.
Read: Iran's military remains intact: acting deputy defence minister
Pezeshkian warned that investment would be difficult to attract as long as the threat of renewed conflict persisted, stressing the need to overcome the situation through logic while maintaining Iran’s strength.
The president also defended a recent memorandum with the US, saying it contained no provision that amounted to capitulation or required Tehran to make concessions.
Iran condemns US plans to announce new sanctions
Iran on Saturday denounced US plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic's economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners, including China.
After nearly six months of war since the US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on February 28, the sides are not firing at each other but also showing no sign of pursuing peace talks.
Oil shipments are at a virtual standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran threatening to strike any unauthorised oil tankers that try to transit the vital waterway, and Iran's economy is already under immense pressure from sanctions.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is due to hold a press conference at 2:00 PM on Monday after threatening "the toughest sanctions in history" on Iran.
Bessent has also urged cooperation with Washington by China, which buys more than 80% of Iran's shipped oil, according to 2025 data from analytics firm Kpler. Beijing has urged diplomacy.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said on Saturday the imminent US announcement of new economic sanctions was an "assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty over every independent member state of the United Nations."
"Such secondary sanctions find no foundation in international law," he said in a post on X.
The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, told state television that Tehran would target the interests of countries helping the US.
"We are telling all nearby countries not to join the US economic war, otherwise we will consider them as enemies," Rezaei said.
Read more: US plans 'toughest sanctions' on Iran
US President Donald Trump, who has warned of economic consequences against any country that provides "any type of lifeline to Iran," said on Friday that Washington was observing "what happens" in the conflict.
"They would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion," Trump said of Iran.
While the US has effectively blockaded Iranian vessels in their ports, the Strait of Hormuz remained bottled up with thousands of seafarers stranded on hundreds of vessels.
Only four commodity ships sailed along the strait on Thursday, none of them large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers, ship-tracking data showed.
However, Iran has granted permission for a number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait following repeated requests from Baghdad, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.
IRNA said obtaining special permission for Iraqi tankers was one of Baghdad’s main requests during a visit to Iraq by Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US military helped move a seven-day average of 8 million barrels a day of oil through the strait. That's down from more than 20 million per day before the war or about one of every five barrels consumed worldwide.
US attacks have severely diminished Iran's economy and devastated its navy and air force, but Tehran maintains enough missile and drone capability to impede oil tanker traffic and attack regional rivals.
Also read: Iran claims neighbours seek new security order
Abdollahi, the armed forces chief of staff, sought to underline Iran's missile capabilities during a visit to an underground plant manufacturing ballistic missiles that was reported by state television on Saturday.
"This plant has been able, much better than in the past, to produce equipment superior both in capacities and quality and in quantity," he said.
Qalibaf, Iran's parliamentary speaker, said Tehran had received "numerous messages" from neighbouring countries about establishing new regional security arrangements and economic cooperation.
Qalibaf, who did not say which countries he was referring to, accused the US of endangering the security of its allies in the region for the sake of Israel, adding that an independent, "homegrown" regional order would deliver peace and security.
Trump, meanwhile, has yet to achieve objectives he set at the start of the war, such as dismantling Iran's nuclear programme - the state of which remains uncertain given that UN inspectors have been shut out since 2025 - and creating conditions for Iranians to overthrow their clerical rulers.
Thousands have been killed, mainly in Iran, where 168 Iranian school children were killed on the first day of the war. The US has reported more than 750 military personnel wounded and 18 killed.
While Iran remains defiant, President Masoud Pezeshkian has also called for a diplomatic solution.
"It would be better to end the war today, when we are powerful and have dignity, and the whole world acknowledges our victory and emphasizes that America, contrary to all regulations, attacked our schools, hospitals, and infrastructure and is hated in the world," the ISNA news agency quoted him as saying on Friday.