Iran's President Admits Facing 'Full-Scale War' with US

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that his country is currently facing a ‘full-scale war’ with the United States. He said the government and the people must be prepared for the various consequences of this conflict, particularly in the economic sector. ‘The reality is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently engaged in a full-scale war,’ Pezeshkian said during a meeting with judicial officials in Tehran on Monday. He added that Iran must be realistic about the situation it is facing. ‘We must be realistic and accept the natural consequences of this resistance,’ he continued. Pezeshkian assessed that the greatest challenge facing Iran is not only on the military front but also in the economy. ‘The most important battlefield today is the economy and the people’s livelihoods,’ he said. He warned that increasing economic pressure could trigger public discontent. If this dissatisfaction spreads, he argued, public support for the state could be undermined. ‘If economic pressure causes social discontent to form and this discontent spreads, the enormous social capital that the people have built to support the state could be damaged,’ he stated. Iran is facing mounting economic pressure after the conflict with the United States heated up. Last June, the country’s annual inflation rate soared to nearly 90 per cent. Data for July has not yet been released. At the end of last December, protests initially triggered by the high cost of living developed into widespread anti-government demonstrations. The action peaked on 8-9 January. The Iranian government said more than 3,000 people were killed in the series of riots and accused the violence of being triggered by ‘terrorist acts’ masterminded by the United States and Israel. Meanwhile, several non-governmental organisations based outside Iran estimate the death toll from the riots to be much higher.