TEHRAN -- President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Saturday that Iran must stand firm in the face of bullying and unfair treatment, calling for greater use of advanced technologies to transform the country’s agricultural sector and scientific standing.
“We must not bow our heads in the face of bullying and unfair treatment,” Pezeshkian said, speaking at a ceremony marking the start of the 2026–2027 agricultural year at Iran’s Seed and Plant Improvement Institute in Karaj.
The president emphasized the need for Iran to pursue scientific and technological progress, pointing to the country’s technical expertise — particularly in assembly and artificial intelligence — as an existing resource that should be put to more effective use.
“Our experts are among the best assemblers in the world; we have some of the best in artificial intelligence. Why should we not use the best technology?” he asked.
Pezeshkian called for “a closer examination of existing methods to determine whether they deliver the best possible results.” Such an assessment, he noted, should help identify where more effective methods and modern technologies could improve performance.
He also underscored the importance of “improving how goods are produced and distributed,” raising questions about product quality and the management of supply chains. 
The president pointed to the need to consider not only production itself but also the processes that bring goods to consumers.
“Scientific progress should deliver practical results, including better agricultural output and higher-quality products,” he emphasized.
Pezeshkian further called for effective use of artificial intelligence and other advanced tools to improve production methods, increase efficiency, and strengthen Iran’s technological capacity.
Also on Saturday, Iranian Parliament Presiding Board member Abbas Goodarzi told IRNA that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats fall within Washington’s “cognitive war” against Iran, aimed at undermining the judgment of Iran’s leadership and eroding the resilience of the Iranian people. 
He stressed the need to strengthen internal cohesion, national confidence, and defensive capabilities, saying “the era of lightning strikes is over” and any aggression against Iran will be met with a “much larger response.”
Goodarzi added that Iran has thus far emerged victorious, and that the enemy, despite inflicting heavy costs, has failed to achieve its objectives. He described continued resistance as a “strategic necessity,” not merely a choice.