Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday it was time to end the war with the United States while Iran was in a stronger position.
Mr Pezeshkian spoke at a meeting with doctors, according to the AFP news agency. He said: "It is better that we bring the war to an end now as we are in a position of power and dignity."
He also defended the memorandum of understanding that Iran agreed with Washington in June. Hardline critics in parliament say the deal gave concessions to the US, mostly over re-opening the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Pezeshkian rejected that view. "They cannot find even a single clause in this agreement that indicates capitulation. All the commitments concern the other side," he said.
The president also said the whole world acknowledged Iran's victory, according to Al Jazeera. He said the US had attacked Iranian schools, hospitals and infrastructure in violation of all regulations, and was hated around the world.
These claims are Mr Pezeshkian's and have not been independently verified. No response from the US or Israel to his remarks had been reported.
The Jerusalem Post, citing Iran's ISNA news agency, reported the same remarks. Its translation of the president's words differs slightly from that used by AFP.
AFP reported that talks between Iran and the US were on hold and that the war was in a stalemate. It said Tehran was keeping the Strait of Hormuz partially shut, while Washington was maintaining a naval counter-blockade.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf separately warned that military strength alone would not sustain Iran without economic growth, according to i24NEWS. He said Iran would not endure if people were hungry and the country lacked financial circulation and economic growth.
Major-General Ali Abdollahi, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, said the forces would respond to new threats. His remarks were quoted by Iranian media, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The war began on 28 February 2026, when the US and Israel launched hostilities against Iran. Al Jazeera reported in an article on 9 August that it had killed more than 3,400 people.
Iran has de facto blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. In peacetime, about one-fifth of global oil shipments passed through the waterway, according to Al Jazeera.
A memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US was agreed in June to end the war. AFP reported that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said weeks earlier that he had approved the deal despite having different views.
Al Jazeera notes that the president's authority is ultimately subordinate to that of the Supreme Leader.
Mr Pezeshkian has made similar calls before. Al Jazeera reported on 9 August that he had urged an end to the state of neither war nor peace. In March, he set out terms for ending the war.
The same report said Iran and Oman were pursuing an agreement to reopen the strait.
i24NEWS reported that food prices and the wider economy were under pressure from the war, sanctions and the blockade. Mr Qalibaf's remarks put more emphasis on that economic strain than the president's did.
Al Jazeera reported that Washington was preparing economic sanctions. It said this included a warning of consequences for countries that give Iran any type of lifeline. Talks between Iran and the US remained on hold.
