WASHINGTON — In a significant development, Iran’s president and its parliamentary speaker are vocally advocating for the conclusion of the ongoing conflict with the United States. This comes as they navigate through challenges posed by hardline factions favoring continued resistance.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed concern over the escalating economic strain on Tehran, highlighting that it is beginning to take a serious toll on the country. However, he also issued a warning about the repercussions of a retreat that could be perceived as shamefully yielding “before the enemy.”

In a statement delivered on Friday, as reported by state media, Pezeshkian emphasized, “This war must eventually find its conclusion.” He asserted, “It is more advantageous for us to display our power and dignity now, declaring to the world that we have emerged victorious and are thereby concluding this war.”

The collapse of a previous memorandum of understanding has led President Trump to sustain a blockade on Iran, effectively choking the nation’s key revenue stream—its oil exports.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to introduce what President Trump has termed “economic D-Day” actions against Tehran this week. The existing economic sanctions have already precipitated rising inflation, a worsening cost-of-living crisis, and further complications within Iran.

While it’s not entirely clear what those punitive measures will entail, Bessent has seemingly hinted that there will be secondary sanctions on countries that do business with Iran.

“I was in the presence of the Supreme Leader, and in his speeches as well, he openly stated that we must move beyond this state of ‘neither war nor peace,’” Pezeshkian claimed, per a translation referring to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who hasn’t been seen publicly since the war in Iran began.

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“We are not going to humiliatingly back down before the enemy or bow our heads. We can sit down with strength, but also with logic, and resolve our problems. This is possible, and we are also working to make it happen.”

Ironically, Khamenei recently elevated hardliners in Iran who lean towards resuming war over officials who favor trying to cut another deal with the US.

But similar to Pezeshkian, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf underscored the national security risks Iran faces if the theocratic regime continues to deal with a full-blown economic crisis. 

“No matter how much military power we have, if our people are struggling and the country lacks financial circulation and economic growth, we will not achieve progress,” he said, per Iranian state media. “As someone who has experienced war, [I] understand the true value of peace.”

Throughout the prior negotiations with Iran, top Trump administration officials complained that they were getting conflicting responses from Iran. The MOU, which Trump signed in June, collapsed after Iran launched several attacks on vessels traversing the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has long made clear that his primary goal is to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon. But he also wants the Strait of Hormuz to be fully reopened.

Already, the administration has claimed it is securing between 8 million and 9 million barrels of oil through the critical waterway daily. Before the war began, it was roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day.

“They would love to make a deal, but they’re not ready to make the right deal,” the president told reporters on Friday.

Amidst the chaos of a fierce brush fire raging in Nevada, a hospital is taking emergency measures to relocate its patients to safety. 

Named the Hawk Fire, this rapidly advancing inferno has devoured over 10,500 acres as it charges from its origin point outside Reno on Saturday, drawing ever closer to the heart of the city. 

As of Sunday morning, containment efforts had not yet made any progress, with the blaze still at zero percent contained. 

In response, Northwest Specialty Hospital, located in the western part of Reno, has initiated evacuations as reported by 2News Nevada. 

With a firm focus on safeguarding everyone within its walls, the hospital declared, ‘The safety and well-being of our rehabilitation and behavioral health patients and staff remain the highest priority, and we are evacuating out of an abundance of caution.’ 

‘Patients have been safely transported to appropriate locations where their care will continue without interruption – no patients or staff remain in the building.’

The hospital added that families of patients have been notified about the evacuation, and that it is working with first responders to safely close the facility. 

Normal operations will resume when the building is once again deemed safe for use.

Thousands of Reno residents have also already been directed to evacuate their homes. 

‘Go now’ evacuation orders were in effect for north and northwest of Somersett, north of Verdi, the west side of Golden Valley, Lemmon Valley and Stead by Saturday night. Other portions of the latter three areas were also told to ‘get set’ to leave. 

In total, that meant that more than 6,000 people were under some sort of evacuation directive.

Republican Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County, where Reno is, because of the Hawk Fire, which he said was ‘spreading quickly and threatening homes and structures.’

He reiterated the evacuation orders and noted that the fire was an ‘active and rapidly evolving situation.’

The Hawk Fire started around 11.30am on Saturday about one mile north of Cold Creek Trail, near Somersett, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve, an independent, said Saturday night that structures had already been burned as a result of the fire, though she did not share specific details.

‘Your life is more important than a building,’ Schieve said. ‘Evacuating before the fire arrives also allows our firefighters to focus their efforts on battling the blaze.’

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Reno urged locals to ‘GO NOW’ Saturday evening on X, alongside a photo depicting a gigantic plume of smoke.

An evacuation site had been set up at Hall 4 of the Reno Sparks Convention Center on 4590 S. Virginia Street, authorities said.

The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District said earlier that the fire was moving northeast towards North Virginia Street between Seneca Drive and Copperfield Drive.

It threatened roughly 1,000 homes as a result, according to the fire district.

US Route 395 was closed in both directions from Parr Boulevard to Red Rock Road on Saturday night because of the massive fire, according to the Reno Fire Department.

Nearly 50,000 people north of Reno were without power as of Saturday night.

The outages were concentrated in the Cold Springs, Stead and University Ridge areas.

The emergency room at North Valleys also had to temporarily close as a result of the Hawk Fire, according to KOLO.

Patients were being immediately evacuated using a safe transport plan, according to the outlet.

The fire evoked stunning images across Reno on Saturday.

People driving out of town were met with seemingly interminable amounts of smoke as the horizon took on a red tint from the fiery conditions.

The Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center was previously being used as an evacuation site, but agencies said it was now full.

A red flag warning had been in effect in Reno on Saturday, which the National Weather Service (NWS) deemed ‘critical fire weather.’

Wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour with humidity as low as 12 percent were expected across the area.

The NWS said those conditions offered ‘rapid fire growth potential’ as they urged people to not drag trailer chains, drive over dry grass or go target shooting.

Though the Hawk Fire started in Nevada, California was also feeling the brunt of the blaze.

Sierra Nevada was placed under an evacuation warning, meaning that residents should be prepared to leave their homes.