Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian in New Delhi on September 12, 2026. (Photo by Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Saturday that Iran “won’t surrender” to the United States, accusing Washington of targeting civilians and trying to force the country into submission.
“If Americans are warriors, let them face our valiant military forces. Why wage war on civilian infrastructure, food supplies, and livelihoods? If they’re human, why deny people access to water, food, and medicine? Our people can’t be bullied into submission. Iran won’t surrender,” Pezeshkian wrote on X.
The defiant message followed similar remarks Pezeshkian delivered Friday in New Delhi, where he is attending the BRICS summit amid the continuing war with the United States and Israel.
“Iran has successfully stood against Israel and the U.S.,” Pezeshkian said while addressing a gathering of Indian religious leaders, intellectuals, and business representatives.
“Since we are seeking truth and justice, we will not yield in front of bullying arrogance,” he said.
Pezeshkian’s declaration comes days after President Donald Trump predicted that Iran would be unable to sustain the conflict much beyond the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections.
“I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer. They’re desperate to try and affect the election,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.
Pezeshkian has repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure during the conflict.
Washington and Israel have said their military operations are directed at Iranian military, nuclear, and other strategic targets.
The Iranian leader arrived in New Delhi on Friday for the BRICS summit, where the war and its economic repercussions have emerged as major issues.
Pezeshkian met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the summit, with the two leaders discussing the conflict as well as bilateral economic and strategic ties.
Modi reiterated India’s call for diplomacy and dialogue to end the fighting.
India has maintained longstanding ties with Iran while also developing closer relations with the United States and Israel.
Pezeshkian’s visit comes as Tehran faces continued U.S. military and economic pressure and disputes with Washington over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has kept the critical waterway largely closed since the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began in February, disrupting a major route for global energy shipments.
Tehran and Oman have been negotiating new shipping arrangements for the strait, but Iranian officials said Saturday that Hormuz would not fully reopen unless the United States meets Iran’s conditions.
Those demands and the broader conflict are likely to remain central issues as Pezeshkian seeks support from fellow BRICS members during the two-day gathering in New Delhi.
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