“We will never bow”: Iran’s Pezeshkian vows defiance amid rising US-Israel tensions

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that Iran will never submit to external pressure, as tensions continue to rise amid increasingly sharp rhetoric from the United States and Israel.

Speaking in a recent address, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran would not “bow before any power” or compromise its national dignity for comfort or political convenience.

“We will not bow. I will never bow before any power. We will not sacrifice the country’s dignity for the sake of comfort-seeking and our own worldly desires, but we must manage the country with prudence and wisdom,” he said.

He also accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to destabilise the country internally after failing to achieve their objectives through direct pressure.

Pezeshkian claimed that external forces are now seeking to create division between the Iranian public and its leadership, saying such efforts had failed to weaken national unity.

In his remarks, the Iranian president further alleged that Iran had suffered targeted killings of senior figures, including military commanders, ministers, scientists, and civilians, while criticizing the international community for its silence.

He said countries and institutions that claim to support human rights and international law had failed to respond adequately to these incidents.

Referring to broader regional conflicts, Pezeshkian pointed to the situation in Gaza and Palestine, accusing Israel and its allies of committing serious atrocities while framing their actions as self-defense.

“They call genocide self-defense,” he said, adding that Western media narratives were being used to justify violence due to political and military power imbalances.

The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing disputes involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, including past military escalations and fragile diplomatic efforts.