Panic Mounts As Iran Vows 'Total War' With US And Allies

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly declared that the Islamic Republic is engaged in a 'total war' with the United States, Israel and Europe, signalling deepening fractures that could influence global security dynamics.

Pezeshkian told state media in an interview published on 27 December 2025 that Tehran believed Western powers were seeking to weaken and destabilise Iran across diplomatic, economic, cultural and security arenas.

From June Conflict To 'Total War'

President Pezeshkian's remarks marked one of the most explicit official characterisations of Tehran's relations with the West and Israel in recent decades. In the normally guarded language of Iranian official communications, he said: 'In my opinion, we are at total war with the United States, Israel and Europe; they want to bring our country to its knees.'

The interview was published on the official website of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, underscoring its centrality to Tehran's state messaging.

Pezeshkian framed the current confrontation as more complex than the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War, a devastating eight-year conflict that cost hundreds of thousands of lives. He asserted that modern pressures encompass not just battlefield hostilities but sanctions, political isolation and cultural constraints.

The statement came just before a scheduled meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, where Iran is expected to be a central agenda item.

The June 2025 Conflict And Geopolitical Fallout

The backdrop to the president's declaration is the June 2025 conflict between Iran and Israel, which expanded into direct hostilities involving US forces. The fighting lasted 12 days and included airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Iranian authorities reported more than 1,000 deaths, including senior commanders and nuclear scientists, while Iranian missile barrages killed at least 28 people in Israel.

Following that conflict, U.S. strikes targeted three Iranian nuclear sites, a move that Washington characterised as necessary to neutralise a perceived nuclear weapons threat. Tehran has denied seeking nuclear weapons, maintaining its nuclear ambitions are for civilian purposes.

In response to ongoing nuclear concerns, France, Britain and Germany reinstated UN sanctions on Iran in September 2025, a move Tehran condemned as further evidence of Western hostility.

Historically, Iran's relations with the West have long been fraught. Since the 1979 revolution, Tehran has sharply opposed US influence in the Middle East. Supreme Leader Khamenei has previously described the US and Israel in near-absolute terms as adversaries, and Tehran's strategic doctrine often emphasises resistance and deterrence against perceived external threats.

Domestic Strain And International Ripples

Pezeshkian's rhetoric reflects not just external tensions but deep internal pressures. Iran's economy has struggled under prolonged sanctions, a depreciation of the rial and reduced oil revenues. Official statistics showed inflation had surged and everyday costs for food and essential goods had climbed sharply by late 2025.

Tehran's leaders are navigating the difficult task of sustaining public services and stability while facing what they describe as a broad siege. Pezeshkian has outlined a 20-point economic plan designed to stabilise the economy, cut wasteful spending, and support lower-income families, though details of implementation remain limited.

Internationally, the 'total war' characterisation has raised alarm. Western capitals are viewing the rhetoric through the lens of recent hostilities and regional proxy conflicts. The US government has maintained that negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme remain possible but only under stringent conditions, including limits on uranium enrichment and ballistic missile development, conditions Tehran rejects as undermining its sovereignty.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's planned talks with President Trump have been framed by Israeli media and officials as opportunities to discuss new measures to curb what they see as Tehran's destabilising regional activities and to reinforce deterrence.

Meanwhile, Tehran's ties with allied non-state actors in the region, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, add further complexity. Although official Iranian rhetoric avoids direct admission of command and control, the Islamic Republic's support networks for these groups are widely acknowledged and factored into regional threat assessments. The outcomes of these alliances feed into both Western strategic planning and Tehran's defensive posturing.