President Pezeshkian: Iran Is in a Full-Scale War

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged that his citizens are facing “many problems”. The remarks came after the United States launched a new wave of sanctions aimed at further isolating the country’s economy.

“I understand that we have many problems in society today. We are working to prevent these things as much as possible,” Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast on state television, as reported by AFP on Sunday (23/8/2026).

The statement was made after the United States signalled its determination to bring down the Iranian regime through a newly announced sanctions campaign.

Responding to this, Pezeshkian said that, as a result of the actions of US President Donald Trump, Iran is now in a “full-scale war on the economic, military and security fronts”.

“He says he is imposing the most devastating and horrific sanctions on Iran,” Pezeshkian said.

“We are doing our utmost to tackle inflation, livelihood problems and unemployment, and to secure the future of the people, so that they can live with dignity and pride,” Pezeshkian said.

The Iranian government has faced several waves of mass protests in recent years, often triggered by economic hardship, including inflation and exchange rate fluctuations that have eroded purchasing power.

At the end of December last year, a protest movement initially sparked by rising living costs turned into mass demonstrations denouncing the authorities.

The authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest, and accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the violence.

However, a number of foreign-based NGOs said that the security forces had carried out indiscriminate crackdowns that resulted in thousands of deaths.