Pezeshkian Calls for End to “Neither War nor Peace” as Diplomatic Moves Unfold in Tehran

Key Facts

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for an end to the state of “neither war nor peace” as Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish delegations met Iranian officials in Tehran to try to prevent fighting from resuming. A report on Pezeshkian’s remarks was published on 25 October, while the meeting took place the following day, according to the Associated Press. Pezeshkian said Iran supports any agreement that deepens regional cooperation and helps resolve disputes. The messages came as Iran’s foreign ministry reiterated that Tehran had not closed the window for diplomacy. The regional moves put de-escalation at the forefront of ongoing efforts, with no new agreement between Iran and the United States announced.

At the meeting held on 26 October, Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Pakistani army chief Asim Munir took part alongside Pezeshkian and Iranian officials. The Associated Press said representatives of the four countries agreed to continue talks on expanding cooperation, particularly on regional peace and security. No date or location was announced for the next meeting. The effort reflects a regional push taking place alongside the relaying of messages between Tehran and Washington through intermediaries. The agency also reported that Qatari mediators visited Tehran on Sunday in coordination with the United States as part of de-escalation efforts.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the window for diplomacy had not closed and that messages were being conveyed to the United States through intermediaries. At the same time, he said Washington continued to put forward unilateral demands, and that US officials had used the phrase “complete surrender,” according to the Associated Press. The contrast shows that disagreements over the terms of any negotiating path persist, even as indirect channels of communication remain open. Iran’s foreign minister said in September that only a negotiated solution could bring the parties out of the impasse. That came after the US president rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the fighting, according to a Reuters report published on 27 September.

One of the main negotiating issues concerns the Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. An interim agreement brokered by Pakistan and Qatar in June aimed to reopen the strait to shipping and lift the blockade, alongside the start of broader negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. But the agreement quickly collapsed as both sides resumed attacks, according to the Associated Press. In a later account cited by the agency, an ambassador said Iran had told Pakistan it was ready to reopen the strait if Washington lifted its naval blockade. This linkage puts shipping and the blockade among the terms under discussion, while broader talks still have no announced date for resuming.

The phrase “neither war nor peace,” attributed in some coverage to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, refers in available reporting to an earlier warning, not a new call for an agreement on 27 October. The Associated Press quoted Khamenei as saying in September that this state of “neither war nor peace” was harmful to the country and “not a good thing.” In August, Pezeshkian said Oman’s negotiations were working to find a solution and expressed hope that Iran would emerge from that state. The latest remarks on ending this situation therefore belong to Pezeshkian, while Khamenei’s comments reflect an earlier warning about the consequences of a continuing impasse. This comes against the backdrop of rounds of negotiations and mediation efforts that, according to the information available, have not produced an announced settlement.

The efforts coincide with concerns about a resumption of fighting ahead of Israel’s election scheduled for Tuesday and the US midterm elections on 3 November. Tehran warned against continued unilateral US demands, while Israel warned of a possible attack by Iran or its allies, according to the Associated Press. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said renewed attacks on Iran would destabilise the region and harm countries that are not parties to the conflict. The next announced step is for the four countries to continue their talks on regional cooperation, peace and security, with no new date specified. In the near term, messages relayed through intermediaries and Qatari efforts remain among the existing paths to de-escalation, while no new agreement on the Strait of Hormuz or the nuclear issue has been announced.