Masoud Pezeshkian

Accused Washington of disrupting negotiations to end the war but said he still believes talks must proceed

President Donald Trump said on Nov. 10 there was a 'good chance' of a deal with Iran and that the US would not launch a new offensive for now. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said sanctions were working so well that major combat operations were unnecessary, though he warned Iran against crossing 'red lines.'

Updated Yesterday

Said August 6 Iran faces its toughest period since the 1979 revolution amid sanctions and blockade pressure

Iran said two oil tankers hit mines and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on November 8. A third vessel also burned, bringing the number of ships hit since the start of November to at least 12. The US military disabled a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman, and Iran's Revolutionary Guard later disabled navigation systems on four tankers using a route it considers unauthorized. Ship tracking put Hormuz traffic at about 5% of pre-war levels on November 10.

Updated Yesterday

Leading interim three-person leadership council

A U.S. fighter jet destroyed an Iranian surface-to-air missile launcher on Qeshm Island on the night of Nov. 2, after the Revolutionary Guard fired at an American aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported. A U.S. official called the strikes on Iranian targets in the strait 'defensive,' and they came the night before midterm elections.

Updated 2 days ago

Apologized for protest massacres February 11; navigating post-Khamenei war and ceasefire negotiations

Iran's December 2025 uprising was crushed at enormous cost. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) verified 7,007 deaths in its February 23 report, including 6,488 adult protesters and 236 children.

Updated 2 days ago

Said on October 21 that the US cannot demand talks while blockading and threatening Iran.

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran's military sites, nuclear facilities and leadership. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed, and his son Mojtaba was chosen to replace him. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a route for about a fifth of world oil, and a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire on April 8 was followed by failed talks in Islamabad and a US naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Updated 4 days ago

Said October 20 there will be no return to talks without a halt to the US pressure campaign

The US struck an Iranian air-defense device on Qeshm Island on November 6, and President Donald Trump called the operation 'minor.' Iran said its air defenses destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over the island, while US Central Command described the situation as 'relatively calm.'

Updated 4 days ago

Leading Iran through a new war with the U.S. and Israel while Qatar-mediated talks continue

Iran is rebuilding its air defenses with Russian help while fighting a new war with the United States and Israel. The June 2025 war destroyed about a third of Iran's air-defense network, and leaked documents show Tehran agreed to buy 500 Verba shoulder-fired launchers and 2,500 missiles for about €500 million. Separate deals cover S-400 batteries and up to 48 Su-35 fighter jets, and in November 2026 Russia reportedly agreed to add 90 helicopter missile launchers.

Updated 5 days ago

The Islamabad MOU he signed June 17 is void; its 60-day window closed August 16 with no revival. Iran's military continues attacking Gulf shipping and its state authority warns of vessel seizures.

Treasury's December 2025 designation of 29 tankers fed into a war. The U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, and a June 17 memorandum signed at the G7 briefly reopened Iran's oil trade under General License X. That relief died on July 17, when the license's wind-down expired after IRGC attacks on three tankers.

Updated 6 days ago

Escorted by security through crowds chanting 'death to the compromiser' at Khamenei funeral; hardliners accuse him and Ghalibaf of staging a 'coup' against Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran said on November 2 that it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days and restart nuclear talks, shortening a plan it had earlier said would take a week. The offer kept its conditions: the US must lift sanctions on Iranian oil, accept a ceasefire that covers Lebanon, and let ships use a route agreed with Oman under Iranian supervision.

Updated 6 days ago

Signed the 60-day MOU on June 17; offered written guarantee Iran will not build a nuclear weapon at Switzerland talks; Iran threatened to halt talks June 28 following US retaliatory strikes

Brent reached $116 a barrel by November 1 as OPEC met and Saudi Arabia's economy contracted 3.8% under the cost of the war and disrupted oil exports. Saudi Arabia restarted the East-West pipeline and resumed loadings at Yanbu in late September, but attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz kept traffic about 70% below prewar levels. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center recorded 144 maritime incidents in the Hormuz region since February 28, making October the worst month of the war.

Updated Nov 1

Met Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir on October 20; said no talks until US lifts pressure, threats and sanctions

Iran's president and foreign minister attended the UN General Assembly in late September, and the visit led to indirect US-Iran talks through Qatar about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran offered to reopen the waterway within seven days if Washington lifts its naval blockade, eases oil sanctions, releases frozen assets and ends hostilities on all fronts. President Donald Trump rejected that offer, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iran's delegation to leave New York early; Tehran denied being ordered out.

Updated Oct 20

In office; nominated Akhlaghi on October 5

Iran's parliament voted Sunday to put Mehrdad Akhlaghi, a UN-sanctioned ballistic missile specialist, in charge of the country's defense industry. He takes over eight months after war with the United States and Israel killed his predecessor and the supreme leader on the conflict's first day.

Updated Oct 18

As of October 2026: Accepted oil minister Mohsen Paknejad's resignation Oct. 5; ordered a price-stabilization committee of the central bank governor, interior minister and Tehran mayor; pressing for a 'win-win' peace deal after Tehran said it received a US response Sept. 30

Iran's economy contracted 10.1 percent in the three months ending June 20. In September the country loaded no crude oil onto tankers for the first time since at least 2013, per energy-intelligence firm Kpler. The rial hovers near 2.5 million to the dollar.

Updated Oct 9

As of September 2026: Maintaining navigation restrictions while saying Tehran opposes war

Brent crude crossed $100 on September 9 for the first time since July, after Iran attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz and the US destroyed five Iranian tankers. Prices retreated below $100 by September 21 as Trump signaled openness to talks and satellite data showed Saudi oil flows through the strait recovering to 2.9 million barrels a day, up from 700,000 in August.

Updated Sep 21

As of August 2026: Signed the June 17 memorandum with Trump; government says Iran will not reopen Hormuz until the US blockade and sanctions are lifted

The ceasefire draft that leaked in May became real on June 17, when Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding by video call, giving both sides 60 days to reach a final deal. Iran agreed not to build nuclear weapons under the pact. The truce broke on July 13: Iran struck two UAE tankers in Omani waters with cruise missiles, killing an Indian crew member, and the US resumed strikes on Iran and reimposed its naval blockade.

Updated Aug 20

As of July 2026: Signed the Islamabad Memorandum remotely from Tehran on June 17; Iran then declared the Strait of Hormuz re-closed on June 20 and suspended nuclear talks in Switzerland on June 19, both citing Israeli strikes in Lebanon

The US, Israel, and Lebanon signed a 14-point Trilateral Framework Agreement in Washington on June 26. It ties Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah disarmament — Lebanon's army must first deploy to pilot zones, clear Hezbollah out, and pass a US-led assessment. Washington pledged $100 million in aid.

Updated Jul 4

As of May 2026: Serving on Interim Leadership Council; signaling willingness to negotiate

Japan imports 90% of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, shut by Iran six weeks ago. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is attempting what her predecessor Shinzo Abe failed to do in 2019: talk Tehran down from the brink — but with far higher stakes and Trump's Tuesday deadline.

Updated May 30

As of May 2026: Leading Iranian government amid massive US-Israeli military strikes

For the fourth time since late February, a ballistic missile fired from Iran crossed into Turkish airspace before NATO defenses destroyed it. The March 31 interception over eastern Turkey followed previous shootdowns on March 4, 9, and 13 — a pattern spanning one month. Turkey summoned Iran's ambassador again, stating 'all necessary measures are being taken decisively' against threats to its territory.

Updated May 30

As of May 2026: President; sidelined from succession process; Vice President Aref reported taking over wartime duties

Ali Khamenei ruled Iran as supreme leader for 36 years until joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026, killed him along with family members and multiple top military and intelligence officials at his Tehran compound. The succession process is now opaque and under fire, with the Assembly of Experts' Qom site damaged, acting leader Ali Larijani facing a power vacuum, and the IRGC interim council trying to preserve control.

Updated May 30

As of May 2026: Publicly overruled by IRGC; walked back apology under pressure

Iran's Supreme Leader controlled both the presidency and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for over four decades. Eight days after a joint United States-Israeli airstrike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that unified chain of command fractured.

Updated May 30

As of May 2026: Leading wartime government after death of Supreme Leader Khamenei

Since February 28, the US-Iran war has expanded to include critical water infrastructure. On March 8, Iran struck a Bahrain desalination plant.

Updated May 30

As of May 2026: Overseeing Iran's continued military campaign; no ceasefire negotiations

Dubai International Airport processed 95.2 million passengers in 2025 and became the world's busiest in January 2026. On March 1, Iranian missiles and drones struck its terminals, forcing full evacuation. On March 16—16 days into the conflict—another drone hit a fuel tank, reigniting flight suspensions and forcing additional Emirates cancellations despite partial airspace reopening. Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Kuwait shut down simultaneously on February 28, severing three major Gulf hubs that route long-haul traffic between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Updated May 30

As of May 2026: Faces pressure from both protesters and hardliners

For over two decades, the European Union resisted designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, wary of severing diplomatic ties with Tehran. On January 29, 2026, that resistance collapsed. All 27 EU foreign ministers voted unanimously to place the IRGC on the same legal footing as al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Islamic State—a designation that triggers automatic asset freezes and travel bans across the bloc. Within hours, the United Kingdom signaled it would follow suit with separate legislation targeting hostile state agencies.

Updated May 23

As of May 2026: Lacks control over security forces; credibility damaged by crackdown

Iran's 2022 uprising killed roughly 500 people over several months. The current one has killed at least 6,842 people (possibly more than 30,000) in just over five weeks; leaked documents reveal Supreme Leader Khamenei approved a premeditated crackdown blueprint months in advance.[1][2]

Updated May 23

As of May 2026: Caught between acknowledging grievances and backing crackdown

Bazaar merchants bankrolled Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Now they're in the streets demanding its end.

Updated May 22

As of May 2026: Attempting mediating stance while security forces use lethal force

The Islamic Republic has survived four decades of protests—but never anything like this. What began on December 28 as Tehran bazaar merchants protesting a collapsing currency became Iran's largest uprising since the 1979 revolution, with demonstrations in all 31 provinces.

Updated May 21

As of May 2026: Limited authority; proposed budget that sparked protests

Iran's nationwide uprising, triggered by December 28, 2025 bazaar marches in Tehran, was crushed in what may be the deadliest massacre in the Islamic Republic's history. An internet blackout that began January 8 was partially restored around January 17-18, though connectivity remains severely restricted. Early reports confirmed 572 deaths; after internet restoration in late January, the Human Rights Activists News Agency documented at least 6,126 deaths, with estimates ranging from 12,000 to over 36,500.

Updated May 20

As of May 2026: Facing protests after proposing budget favoring security over wages

Iran's judiciary chief announced January 14 that detained protesters face fast-track trials and executions, despite Trump's warning of "very strong action." The death toll hit at least 2,571, per Human Rights Activists News Agency — four times the count from two days earlier and more than any crackdown since 1979.

Updated May 20

As of May 2026: Pledging economic reform while lacking control over security forces

The Iranian rial lost half its value in six months, prompting merchants—the same traders who toppled the Shah in 1979—to shut down Tehran's Grand Bazaar on December 28. Within two weeks, the strike became the largest uprising since the Islamic Revolution; credible estimates range from 500 to 3,000 dead after a five-day internet blackout, with the IRGC firing live ammunition on crowds.

Updated May 20

As of May 2026: Facing third day of largest protests in three years; calls for dialogue ignored

Iran's Central Bank governor resigned December 29 after the rial collapsed to 1.42 million per dollar (a 70% drop during his tenure), triggering the largest street protests in three years. By December 30, merchants had kept Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar shuttered for three days, and crowds in Isfahan, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and Mashhad chanted 'Death to the Dictator' and 'Death to Khamenei'.

Updated May 18