Iran’s President Pezeshkian Threatens Strong Response to Israel—Will a Ceasefire Change It?

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian suggested on Monday that a potential Israeli ceasefire “could affect the intensity” of Iran’s response to recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military installations.

According to IRNA, Pezeshkian stated during a cabinet meeting, “If they (the Israelis) reconsider their behavior, accept a ceasefire, and stop massacring the oppressed and innocent people of the region, it could affect the intensity and type of our response.” However, he emphasized, “We will not leave unanswered any aggression against its sovereignty and security.”

He claimed that the United States has fueled conflict in the Middle East by backing the “criminal Zionist regime” while also asserting that Iran has never started a war nor encouraged any country to do so.

Israel conducted airstrikes on Iranian military facilities on October 26 as a response to Iran’s missile attack on October 1. Iran has asserted that it will respond in kind to Israel’s actions. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated in a recent speech in Tehran, “The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front,” raising concerns that this could signal a decision for further retaliatory strikes.

Military analysts suggest that Pezeshkian’s remarks reflect Iran’s internal debate on whether to launch another retaliatory strike against Israel or to modulate its response while maintaining a strong public stance as the U.S. presidential election approaches.

Pezeshkian, who took office as President in late July, is known as a “moderate reformist” who advocates for restoring dialogue with the West to address economic difficulties.