Masoud Pezeshkian, the Iranian president has set out conditions that he says could end the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel, in what can be described as a possible opening for de-escalation as the conflict entered its 13th day on Thursday.
In a message posted on the social media platform X on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said he spoke with leaders in Russia and Pakistan and reaffirmed what he called Iran’s commitment to peace.
“The only way to end this war is recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations and firm international guarantees against future aggression,” Pezeshkian wrote.
His remarks mark a notable shift in tone from Tehran. Since the war began nearly two weeks ago, Iranian officials have largely rejected any talk of negotiations or a ceasefire, instead insisting they would confront what they described as aggression by Israel and the United States.
The Iranian president blamed what he called the “Zionist regime and the US” for igniting the conflict. The war has rapidly escalated into one of the most serious confrontations in the Middle East in recent years, drawing global attention and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
Pressure is also building in Washington to bring the fighting to an end as the financial and political costs mount.
Donald Trump, the United States president, told the US publication Axios on Wednesday that the conflict could conclude soon because there was little left for American forces to target inside Iran.
“Anytime I want it to end, it will end,” Trump said. Earlier in the week he had told reporters that the United States was “way ahead of our schedule” and had already achieved its objectives.
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His comments came as speculation grew in Washington over whether the United States might escalate further with a possible ground operation, a step that analysts say could significantly expand the war.
Israeli leaders, however, appear to be taking a different position.
Israel Katz, Israel’s defence minister, said on Wednesday that Israel would continue its military campaign for as long as necessary.
“The war will go on without any time limit, until we achieve all the objectives and decisively win the campaign,” Katz said.
The contrasting messages from Washington and Tel Aviv have added uncertainty about how quickly the conflict might end.
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Behind the scenes, some of Trump’s advisers have urged caution. According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, senior advisers privately told the president this week that the war should be brought to a swift conclusion to avoid political backlash at home.
Public opinion in the United States appears increasingly wary of the conflict. Polls conducted by Quinnipiac University and The Washington Post suggest that a majority of Americans oppose the war with Iran.
The financial cost of the campaign is also drawing scrutiny.
Pentagon officials told lawmakers during a classified briefing on Tuesday that the United States spent more than $11.3 billion in the first six days of the war, according to Reuters. That figure suggests the conflict has been costing Washington close to $2 billion each day.
Separate estimates from the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies show how quickly the costs accumulated in the early stages of the war. The organisation estimated that the United States spent about $3.7 billion in the first 100 hours alone, largely on expensive munitions and operational costs.
Military analysts say such spending levels could quickly become politically difficult to sustain if the conflict drags on.
While his conditions for peace are likely to be difficult for Washington and its allies to accept, the statement is one of the first clear signals from Tehran that an end to the fighting might eventually be negotiated.
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