Iran in ‘comprehensive war’ with US, Israel, Europe, president says

By Tolga Akbaba, Omer Asur Cuhadar and Rania Abushamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – Iran is in a state of “comprehensive war” with the United States, Israel, and Europe, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday.

“We are in a state of comprehensive war with the United States, Israel, and Europe,” Pezeshkian said in an interview published on the official website of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“This war is more dangerous, more complex, and more difficult than the war with Iraq” between 1980 and 1988, he added.

The Iranian leader accused the US, Israel and some European countries of supporting the collapse of Iran.

“The situation during the war with Iraq was clear: they fired missiles and we knew where to strike. But today, they surround us from all sides, apply pressure on us, obstruct our trade, and raise public expectations inside society in various fields.”

During a 12-day war with Israel in June, the US military struck three major Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan – using bunker-buster bombs.

The strikes came more than a week after Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists and also targeting some nuclear sites.