Add The New York Post on Google Slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was backing a diplomatic solution to end the Islamic Republic’s years-long feud with the United States, Iran’s president said Saturday.
The new supreme leader, son Mojtaba Khamenei, is said to be even more extreme than his 86-year-old father who was killed on Feb. 28 by joint US and Israeli strikes — and the adversaries remain locked in a bitter standoff with little progress to speak of.
“I was with the martyred Supreme Leader, and he publicly announced in his speeches that we must get out of this situation of neither war nor peace,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed.
Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in a Feb. 28 strike on Tehran. Anadolu via Getty Images “With strength, but with logic, we can sit down and resolve our problems,” he added, according to Iran International.
Pezeshkian has been defending the diplomatic route out of war, with negotiations with the US on life support since the 60-day temporary cease-fire between the two countries expired Monday without a peace agreement.
His position has been unpopular within the regime, Pezeshkian has been accused of capitulating for saying Tehran should negotiate an end to the war now from a “position of strength” — as Washington prepares to unleash a new set of crippling sanctions next week that could throw Iran’s economy even further into a tailspin.
“It is better that we bring the war to an end now as we are in a position of power and dignity,” Pezeshkian said in public remarks Friday.
“What do you mean when you say we should end the war now? Did we start the war?” Iran lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian shot back on X Saturday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has pushed to resume diplomacy with the United States. Anadolu via Getty Images “Should we beg [Donald] Trump and [Benjamin] Netanyahu to end the war and not attack us? Wouldn’t sending a signal of weakness make the enemy bolder?”
