Amid the pressures facing his country following the imposition of UN sanctions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed that Tehran does not know surrender.

During a ceremony honoring freestyle wrestling champions in Tehran on Tuesday, Pezeshkian said, “The world is putting pressure on us to force us to surrender, but surrender is not in our tradition.”

“We will not bow down”

He emphasized that his country will resist until the last breath and will not bow, stressing Iran’s commitment to confronting external challenges.

He also stated that Iranians must reach “full awareness of their capabilities,” considering that recognizing national potentials is the foundation of resilience and independence.

Furthermore, he explained that his government is taking practical steps, including improving relations with neighboring countries, as part of efforts to ease pressures and enhance regional cooperation.

Increasing Pressures

The Iranian president’s remarks came at a time when Tehran faces escalating pressures from the United States and European countries over its nuclear program.

They also followed the failure of Russian-Chinese attempts at the UN Security Council last week to postpone the re-imposition of sanctions, paving the way for activating the “snapback mechanism” that automatically reinstates UN sanctions.

The European troika (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) insisted on allowing International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors full access to Iranian nuclear facilities, conditioned on resuming negotiations with Washington and providing additional guarantees regarding enriched uranium stockpiles, in exchange for extending the UN sanctions deadline.

However, the Iranian leadership rejected these demands, describing them as “illogical,” affirming that its nuclear program is peaceful. It also stressed that it will not make concessions under pressure, even if it leads to the re-imposition of international sanctions.