Warnings from senior Iranian officials about the cost of prolonging the war are increasingly converging with Washington’s central pressure point: whether Iran can economically sustain the conflict. The warnings come as President Donald Trump launches an “Economic D-Day” against Iran, describing it as the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country” and seeking to deepen Tehran’s financial isolation. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday Iran should seek to end the war now, linking his appeal to mounting financial constraints and the economic consequences of continued fighting.
“It is better to end the war today, when we are powerful and respected and the whole world acknowledges our victory,” Pezeshkian said. His comments went beyond the case for ending hostilities. Pezeshkian said the maritime blockade had complicated Iran’s imports and exports and that the government lacked resources to meet some of its obligations to workers, retirees and government employees. “The government is facing financial constraints. When we chant slogans, we must also accept the hardship that comes with them,” he said. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf delivered a similar economic warning during a visit to Baghdad, saying military strength could not preserve the Islamic Republic without growth, domestic production and functioning financial flows.
“No matter how much military power we have, if people are hungry and we don't have financial circulation, economic growth and domestic production, we will not endure,” Ghalibaf said Thursday. The comments put two of Iran’s most senior elected officials on the same terrain Washington has increasingly emphasized: the economic capacity of the Islamic Republic to keep fighting. President Donald Trump announced this week the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,” targeting Iran and warning of economic consequences for countries, companies and financial institutions that continue providing it with support. (Read More)
