In a recent interview featured on the official website of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pezeshkian compared the current geopolitical tensions to the devastating Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. He expressed that the current conflict surpasses that war in severity.

“We find ourselves in an all-encompassing war with the United States, Israel, and Europe,” Pezeshkian stated. “Their aim is to destabilize our nation.”

He elaborated that the West’s actions against Iran are “more complex and challenging” than the brutal conflict with Iraq from 1980 to 1988, which resulted in over a million casualties on both sides.

These statements surfaced just days before a scheduled meeting between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during Netanyahu’s visit to the United States.

The discussions are expected to heavily focus on Iran as a central issue.

Israeli and US strikes on Iran that came during a 12-day air war in June killed nearly 1100 Iranians, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.

Retaliatory missile barrages by Iran killed 28 in Israel.