'We will not surrender' - Pezeshkian defies US after Iran strikes
Key Takeaways
- Pezeshkian said bombing and military threats would not force Iran to surrender.
- The comments followed US strikes on Iranian air defence and surveillance sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guard later claimed retaliatory attacks on several US air and naval bases in the region.
Iranian president says military pressure will not force Tehran to back down following US attacks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected the idea that military action can force Tehran to surrender, following overnight US strikes on multiple targets across the country.
Speaking at the "Amin Iran" ceremony in Tehran on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said Iran would not bow to threats or bombing campaigns.
"The enemy has based all its plans on fueling discord, because it is impossible to force a country to surrender with aeroplanes and bombing," he told attendees.
"They will not be able to force Iran to surrender with these threats, and we certainly will not surrender," he added.
His remarks came hours after the United States confirmed strikes on Iranian air defence systems, ground-control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington said the operation was a self-defence measure following the reported downing of a US Apache helicopter and what it described as recent attacks on American personnel and commercial vessels in the region.
Pezeshkian said Iran wanted to move beyond a prolonged state of tension but would not compromise on its sovereignty.
"We must get out of this 'no war, no peace' situation. War is certainly not in the country's interest, but if they want to infringe upon our dignity, our soil, and our land, we will not surrender or back down. Let them dream of such a thing; it is not something we will ever retreat from," Pezeshkian noted.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later announced retaliatory strikes against several US air and naval bases in the region, describing the attacks as a response to American aggression.
The latest exchange marks another escalation in tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel, with all sides exchanging threats and military action in recent days.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
