Mohammad Sio
21 July 2026•Update: 21 July 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had repeatedly stressed in private meetings the need to end the state of “no war, no peace” between Iran and the US.
Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 36 years, was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Feb. 28 at the start of a joint offensive by Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran.
Speaking at a ceremony marking National Industry and Mining Day, Pezeshkian praised Khamenei's leadership in shaping Iran's strategic direction, particularly on ending the uncertain situation between conflict and peace, according to the official IRNA news agency.
“The supreme leader emphasized in private meetings the necessity of ending the state of 'no war, no peace,'” Pezeshkian said.
He said Iran entered negotiations “based on the country's honor, wisdom and dignity,” adding that the government's diplomatic efforts were aimed at protecting the nation's interests.
“Our diplomatic institutions will never retreat from the rights of the Iranian people,” Pezeshkian said.
On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that Tehran received proposals from mediators aimed at de-escalating tensions with the US, while reaffirming its commitment to diplomacy amid an exchange of fire between Washington and Tehran.
The US has escalated attacks against Iran since last week, with Iran retaliating with strikes targeting facilities and bases it says are used by the US military in several regional countries.
The exchange of fire between the US and Iran comes despite a Pakistan-brokered memorandum of understanding they signed in June to end their war and reach a lasting peace agreement.
