Iranian President Pezhiziyan: The war should be ended while we have the advantage

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) Iranian President Pezhiziyan said on Friday (August 21) that the war should be ended while we have the upper hand. "We are now in a position of strength and dignity, and it is best to end this war now," he said.

Negotiations between the United States and Iran are currently at an impasse. Tehran continues to partially close the Strait of Hormuz.

"The whole world recognizes our victory, emphasizing that the United States violates all rules and attacks our schools, hospitals and infrastructure, and is therefore globally reviled," Pezeshchiyan said.

Earlier, Washington announced that it would increase sanctions to put pressure on Tehran. U.S. President Trump said on Wednesday that "no one has given Iran a better chance of reaching a deal than I have" and criticized Tehran for failing to seize the opportunity and therefore launching "unprecedented large-scale economic warfare and isolation actions" against Tehran.

Trump said any country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports or government entities to provide "any form of lifeline" to Iran will also face significant economic consequences.

Iran's Foreign Ministry later accused the United States of committing "economic terrorism." "The implementers and instigators of these sanctions have committed such heinous crimes and deserve to be tried and punished," Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement released by its state media.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said on Thursday that Washington would "collapse" the Iranian regime through the actions it has threatened, nearly six months after the war broke out.

The comments underscore the Trump administration's shift in pressure on Tehran from military to economic means.

If Trump really implements relevant policies, China may become one of the countries hardest hit. China is Iran's largest trading partner and the main buyer of Iranian oil exports. After Washington announced an "economic war" against Iran, Beijing also criticized Washington's economic plans, saying that U.S. "sanctions and pressure" could not resolve the conflict in the Middle East.

In addition to the Iranian president saying on Friday that "it is time to end the war," Iran also responded to Washington's warning of financial sanctions on the same day, saying it would respond with an "overwhelming, punitive, and devastating" response.

Iranian media quoted Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Ali Abdollahi as saying: "With its combat readiness capabilities in the fields of sea, land, air and cyberspace, the Iranian Armed Forces will respond to new threats from the enemy with overwhelming, punitive and destructive means."

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and the main negotiator responsible for mediating with the United States, said that Washington seems to have determined that it cannot win in a direct military confrontation. “We must develop plans to deal with unjust sanctions in order to overcome them.”