Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the United States and Israel of believing they could overthrow Iran’s government within 48 hours, saying the two allies had miscalculated the country’s resilience during their recent confrontation with Tehran.
Speaking during a public address, Pezeshkian said Washington and Tel Aviv believed Iran would collapse quickly under military and political pressure.
“They thought they could take over Iran like Syria in just 48 hours,” the president said, arguing that the country’s armed forces and population had frustrated those expectations.
Pezeshkian said the recent conflict demonstrated Iran’s ability to withstand external pressure despite coordinated military action and international sanctions. He praised Iran’s security forces and citizens, saying national unity had prevented what he described as attempts to destabilize the country.
The remarks come weeks after the most serious direct confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States in decades, during which all sides exchanged military strikes before a ceasefire brought active hostilities to an end.
Iranian officials have repeatedly portrayed the outcome as a strategic victory, arguing that the country’s military capabilities and political system remained intact despite attacks on nuclear, military and government facilities.
Neither the United States nor Israel has publicly stated that regime change was the objective of their military operations. Both governments have consistently maintained that their actions were aimed at degrading Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities and responding to security threats rather than occupying the country.
Pezeshkian also used the speech to reaffirm Iran’s determination to strengthen its defence capabilities and rebuild infrastructure damaged during the conflict, while calling for continued national solidarity in the face of what he described as ongoing external pressure.
The comments are likely to further inflame already strained relations between Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv, even as diplomatic efforts continue to prevent renewed hostilities in the region.
Analysts say the president’s remarks reflect Iran’s broader narrative that the recent conflict reinforced, rather than weakened, the Islamic Republic’s political system, while highlighting the deep divisions that remain between the regional rivals despite the current ceasefire.
