TEHRAN — Iranian President Masoud 
Pezeshkian declared in a wide-ranging televised interview marking the second anniversary of his administration that the country’s adversaries had expected the government to collapse within 48 hours during the recent war, but failed because of the resilience of the Iranian people.
“Despite all the difficulties and problems we face today, Iran is spoken of as a powerful and highly respected country,” Pezeshkian said in an interview broadcast on national television. 
“They thought they could take Iran, like Syria, within 48 hours. But the country remained standing, and we owe it to the people.”
The president described the past two years as the most difficult period since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, citing a cascade of crises: the assassination of the Leader, two wars with the United States and Israel, intensifying sanctions, unprecedented drought, and severe energy imbalances.
“If we stand with the people, no power will be able to bring us down,” Pezeshkian said, emphasizing that national unity has been the key to Iran’s survival.
Pezeshkian spoke emotionally about the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was martyred on February 28 in U.S.-Israeli strikes that targeted his office. The president said he learned of the attack while in a meeting at the same location and sensed immediately what had happened.
“We lost a great asset and a major source of support. He stood behind us like a mountain,” Pezeshkian said. 
“If his support had not been there, social tensions might have emerged sooner than they did. The enemy had calculated that by firing missiles and destroying the country, they would bring it down. But his support prevented that.”
The president revealed that he had shared all of his concerns and grievances with the late Leader in private meetings. “I honestly shared everything with him,” he said. “He truly helped and accompanied us.”
Pezeshkian described Iran’s new Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei as an “exceptional” figure of “extraordinary morality, humility, and logic”. However, he acknowledged that communication with the new leader is currently “very difficult”.
“The more frank and open the discussions between officials and the Eminent Leader, the easier it would be to reach consensus on important issues,” Pezeshkian said.
He dismissed rumors of a rift with the new leadership, stating, “We are completely coordinated with the military forces. If I ever decide to resign,
 I will announce it myself. But I will not resign, and I will stand firm.” 
The president said Iran’s adversaries are systematically targeting the country’s scientific and t

echnological infrastructure, including universities, aerospace facilities, and artificial intelligence centers.
“The enemy has a problem with anything that symbolizes our capabilities, resilience, initiative, and creativity,” he said. “They assassinated our commanders and scientists who had devoted their lives to serving the people. Many of them lived like ordinary people.”
Pezeshkian described the killing of 120 children in Minab during the war as an act that defied any logic or justification. He said his faith in international human rights discourse has “completely collapsed” after witnessing the international community’s inaction.
“I have said before that discussions about human rights and animal rights were not very believable to me,” he said. “Now they have completely collapsed. What crime did our children commit? What crime did our scientists commit?” 
Pezeshkian confirmed that his administration is working to facilitate the return of Iranians living abroad. He said he had discussed the issue with the late Leader and received approval to pursue the matter.
“Every Iranian living abroad, Iran is their home. They should be able to come and return freely, and we should not create obstacles for them,” he said. “If someone is not allowed to enter, it should be clearly communicated to them before they come, not after they arrive.”
Pezeshkian said external pressure, including sanctions and military action, was aimed at provoking domestic unrest.
“Now, every plan and pressure they exert is aimed at making people dissatisfied and, as they claim, inciting people to protest,” he said.
But he insisted the Iranian people have remained steadfast. 
“Those who are outside and portray themselves as concerned and sometimes intellectual — they turned a figure of about three thousand deaths into 30 or 40 thousand and misled public opinion. This shows how treacherous and unpatriotic they are,” he said, referring to allegations of mass casualties following the violent riots.
The president acknowledged that energy imbalances, severe water shortages, and an unprecedented drought in 1404 (2025-2026) ranked among the most pressing domestic challenges.
“We faced energy imbalances and concerns that people might not have access to electricity and gas during the winter,” he said, adding that the water crisis had worsened dramatically due to drought conditions.
The interview comes as the U.S. war on Iran continues to expand in scope and complexity. A June memorandum of understanding that formalized a ceasefire and lifted the naval blockade collapsed in July, and the two sides have exchanged repeated strikes.
President Trump reportedly halted planned strikes on Iran last weekend amid concerns over depleted U.S. missile stockpiles and warnings from Persian Gulf allies about Iranian retaliation against energy infrastructure. The war has cost the U.S. an estimated $100 billion, and the Pentagon has fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in four weeks of terrorist aggression.
Despite the resumption of hostilities, Pezeshkian said Iran is defending its borders but not seeking to expand the war. He called for a regional security structure free from foreign interference.
“The only beneficiary of our differences is the Zionist entity,” he said.
Pezeshkian said Iran is seeking a regional security arrangement based on cooperation among neighboring countries rather than dependence on outside powers.