Iran president opposes war continuation, urges national resilience

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told heads of the country's leading universities on Friday that he opposes continuing the war with Washington, stressing instead the urgent need to strengthen national resilience for the difficult period ahead. Speaking during a meeting with academic leaders in Tehran, Pezeshkian said, “I am not in favor of continuing the war, but we must strengthen the country’s resilience in the face of upcoming developments,” according to the Mehr News Agency. He emphasized that bolstering this resilience requires following a strategic path that prevents Iran from negotiating with the “enemy” from a position of weakness, and he explicitly called on universities to support the government in this critical national endeavor.

Domestic policy and youth engagement

The president warned that economic measures must carefully account for existing social conditions to avoid outcomes that could prove harmful rather than remedial to the population. “We must benefit even from the contributions of Generation Z students to solve society’s problems, and ensure their participation in presenting solutions instead of engaging in protests,” Pezeshkian said, urging academic institutions to channel student energy toward constructive engagement. He added that he maintains no political ties to specific groups or factions within Iran's complex political landscape, and remains open to cooperation with all political currents willing to contribute meaningfully to addressing the country's mounting crises.

Collapse of ceasefire efforts

The remarks come as fighting between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance has intensified following the collapse of a June 18 memorandum of understanding that had briefly halted military operations and guaranteed safe passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Washington and Tehran had initially agreed to end hostilities and allow commercial shipping through the vital waterway, but the understanding faltered within weeks and confrontations resumed in July, with the US renewing air strikes on Iranian targets and reimposing a strict naval blockade on the country's ports. The war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched coordinated military action against Iran, prompting Tehran to fire missiles at Israel, attack American bases across the region, and close the Strait of Hormuz to all navigation — a move that caused widespread disruption to global energy supplies and international trade flows.