Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has proposed preventing future aggression and paying reparations as conditions for ending the war. Although Iran reportedly rejected ceasefire proposals twice before, the country appears to be seeking an exit strategy like the United States amid massive damages. While the probability of immediate U.S. acceptance remains low, some analysts suggest that economic negotiations themselves could increase the possibility of a ceasefire.
On the 11th (local time), President Pezeshkian stated on X (formerly Twitter), "I confirmed our commitment to regional peace and stability during meetings with Russian and Pakistani leaders."
He emphasized, "The only way to end the war started by the Zionist regime (Israel) and the United States is to recognize Iran's inviolable rights, pay reparations, and provide strong international guarantees to prevent another invasion of Iran."
This marks the first time an Iranian leader has mentioned reparations as a condition for ending the war. President Pezeshkian is considered a moderate who has made relatively conciliatory statements about the war among the leadership.
Al Jazeera reported, "Pezeshkian is the only voice in Iran talking about the possibility of peace," adding that "the rest of Iran's leadership is very dissatisfied with the approach of the UN and other countries."
Bloomberg also reported that Iran is demanding through mediators that the United States and Israel prevent future airstrikes. Iran is particularly concerned that Israel could attack again even after the war ends.
However, the United States has invested astronomical sums, spending approximately $11.3 billion (about 16.7 trillion won) in the first week of attacks on Iran alone. President Donald Trump has also maintained a hardline stance, demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender." When Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously demanded reparations as a condition for resuming nuclear negotiations last year, the U.S. State Department dismissed it as "absurd."
Nevertheless, Iran reportedly intended to propose allowing U.S. companies to enter Iran's energy development market before the war, suggesting economic cards will likely be a major agenda item in ceasefire negotiations. The reparations demand could serve as leverage for such discussions.
