Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said military force would not compel his country to submit, as US President Donald Trump again predicted a swift end to the war and a sharp fall in oil prices.
In a televised address, Pezeshkian said Iran was facing its most severe combination of blockade, war and economic pressure since the 1979 Revolution. He accused Washington of deliberately worsening living conditions to generate public anger and trigger protests.
The Iranian president called for stronger national cohesion, saying military action could not force a country into submission.
His remarks came as Trump told reporters in Montana that the conflict would end “very soon”, asserting that Tehran wanted it concluded. He repeated his position that Iran would never acquire a nuclear weapon and said oil prices would “drop like a rock” once the war ended.
Trump also claimed US strikes had destroyed Iran’s naval fleet and military aircraft. Those claims were not independently substantiated in the report. He acknowledged uncertainty about which Iranian officials Washington was negotiating with after attacks targeting the country’s leadership.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that US military planners were considering the potential use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, commonly called the “Mother of All Bombs”, should Trump authorise renewed combat.
Officials familiar with the planning said potential targets included Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites. However, officials questioned whether the weapon could destroy deeply buried facilities and raised concerns about civilian casualties.
A source familiar with the plans said the bomb was suited to clearing large areas and delivering a psychological message, rather than penetrating underground targets.
Diplomatic efforts have remained stalled since the summer, while Washington has recently reduced military operations in favour of economic pressure. The conflict and associated fuel price increases have also become political liabilities for Trump ahead of November’s US midterm elections.
