Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said that Iran maintains the “upper hand” in the current confrontation and seeks sustained peace rather than a temporary ceasefire.

Axar.az reports, speaking to Al Jazeera, she stated that Tehran was not the initiator of the war and highlighted the severe human and infrastructure losses following attacks on residential areas and a port that killed 168 people, including students and teachers.

Mohajerani emphasized that one of Iran’s main demands is the lifting of U.S. economic sanctions, which have affected the livelihoods of Iranian citizens. She described the conflict as a recurring cycle of ceasefires and renewed escalation and called for measures to prevent repeated attacks.

She added that the ultimate decisions on war and peace rest with Iran’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.