---
title: "\"Iran Will Not Surrender\": Pezeshkian Challenges the US Military Amid Escalation and a Diplomatic Track in New Delhi"
description: "Iranian President Pezeshkian, in a post on X, challenged the US military, declaring that Iran will not surrender. The statement came against the backdrop of a conflict escalation and parallel diplomatic activity at the BRICS summit in New Delhi."
date: 2026-09-13T07:40:26.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/pezeshkian-iran-will-not-surrender-challenge-us-new-delhi
tags: [iran, pezeshkian, us-military, brics, new-delhi-summit, uae, middle-east-conflict, diplomacy]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "Iran Will Not Surrender": Pezeshkian Challenges the US Military Amid Escalation and a Diplomatic Track in New Delhi

![Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at an official meeting defying the US](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/13/pezeshkian-iran-ne-sdastsya-vyzov-ssha-nyu-deli/pezeshkian-iran-ne-sdastsya-vyzov-ssha-nyu-deli-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Pezeshkian, on X, called on US forces to fight the Iranian army directly and declared that Iran will not surrender
- The statement came against the backdrop of escalating military clashes and economic pressure on Iran
- On September 12, the leaders of Iran and the UAE signed a joint BRICS statement on restraint in the Middle East conflict
- In New Delhi, Pezeshkian held his first meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi since the start of the conflict
- Sources point to the parallel existence of a military confrontation and a diplomatic track (a memorandum/agreement with the US)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian published a direct address on the social network X on Sunday, September 13, in which he condemned the actions of the United States against the backdrop of an ongoing regional conflict and issued a challenge to the US armed forces. "If the Americans are warriors, let them face our valiant armed forces," wrote the head of the Iranian state. "Our people cannot be broken by intimidation. Iran will not surrender." The statement came at a moment when, according to Iranian and international observers, military clashes in the region are intensifying and economic pressure on Tehran is mounting.

### The Humanitarian Dimension and "Systematic Attempts" to Undermine the Population

In the same message, Pezeshkian drew attention to the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. He pointed out that restrictions and attacks targeting food, water, and medicines are evidence of "systematic attempts to undermine the morale of the population." According to the Iranian president, any efforts to secure concessions through pressure on the country's economy and infrastructure will be in vain. He emphasized Iran's resilience in the face of external pressure and stated that US forces should confront the Iranian army directly rather than harm the civilian population.### The Diplomatic Track: BRICS, the UAE, and the Meeting in New Delhi

Pezeshkian's rhetoric came against a backdrop of notable diplomatic activity. The day before, on September 12, the leaders of Iran and the United Arab Emirates jointly signed a BRICS statement calling for restraint in the Middle East conflict. This step was seen by observers as a sign of diplomatic progress between the two countries, whose relations had been strained by the war, given that the UAE is an ally of the United States. On the sidelines of the first day of the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Pezeshkian also met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi — this was the first meeting at such a high level between the two states since the start of the conflict. The Abu Dhabi press office reported on X that the leaders discussed regional and international issues, de-escalation of tensions, maintaining stability, and efforts to promote peace and development in the region. At the same time, the official statement does not mention any specific outcomes of the talks.

### Contradictory Data

An analysis of available sources reveals a certain tension between two parallel narratives. On the one hand, Pezeshkian, in his September 13 address, speaks of an "escalation of military clashes" and issues a direct challenge to the US armed forces, indicating an active phase of the conflict. On the other hand, a number of Russian and Kazakhstani publications (1prime.ru, news.mail.ru, zakon.kz) reported in June and in a later period about the existence of a "memorandum" or "agreement" between Iran and the United States, as well as Tehran's intention to "fulfill its obligations" under that document. Moreover, the zakon.kz source frames Iran's position as "dialogue does not mean capitulation," which suggests the existence of a negotiation track. Thus, the question arises: is the current escalation a violation of a previously reached agreement, or do the memorandum and the military confrontation exist in parallel, in different spheres? None of the available sources gives a definitive answer to this question, and both versions — of ongoing pressure and of a functioning diplomatic mechanism — remain in view.

### Context: Why New Delhi and BRICS Are Becoming the Arena of Middle East Diplomacy

The coincidence of Pezeshkian's sharp, escalation-laden rhetorical statement with diplomatic activity at the BRICS summit in New Delhi creates a complex picture. On the one hand, Iran is demonstrating internal and external firmness, appealing to patriotic motives and calling for direct military confrontation. On the other — Tehran is actively using multilateral platforms, including BRICS, to legitimize its position and seek mediators. The meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, although it did not yield any publicly announced results, in itself signals that Iran is not closing communication channels even with US allies. In conditions where economic pressure and military clashes continue, it is precisely such "quiet" diplomatic contacts that may become the key mechanism for de-escalation — or, conversely, an indicator that the parties are preparing for further escalation while simultaneously waging an information game.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Iranian President Declares Refusal to Capitulate, Challenging the US Military](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/tong-thong-iran-tuyen-bo-khong-dau-hang-thach-thuc-quan-doi-my) - Подтверждает основное заявление Пезешкиана об отказе от капитуляции и вызове американским военным. Заголовок и суть совпадают с первичным источником tienphong.vn.
- [Pezeshkian Called on the US to Honor the Terms of the Memorandum](https://news.mail.ru/politics/71852672/) - Указывает на существование меморандума между Ираном и США. Контекст не полностью совпадает с текущей эскалацией, но подтверждает наличие дипломатического трека.
- [Pezeshkian Stated That Iran Will Fulfill Its Obligations Under the Agreement with the US](https://1prime.ru/20260630/pezeshkian-871157020.html) - Датирован 30.06.2026. Подтверждает существование соглашения/меморандума. Хронологически предшествует текущей эскалации, что создаёт вопрос о его статусе на 13.09.2026.
- [Dialogue Does Not Mean Capitulation: Iran Makes a New Statement on Negotiations with the US](https://www.zakon.kz/mir/6518315-dialog-ne-oznachaet-kapitulyatsii-iran-sdelal-novoe-zayavlenie-o-peregovorakh-s-ssha.html) - Подтверждает параллельное ведение переговоров и военной риторики. Формулировка «диалог не означает капитуляции» согласуется с риторикой Пезешкиана от 13 сентября.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Pezeshkian state in his address on X?
**A:** The Iranian president called on the US armed forces to fight the Iranian army directly rather than strike the civilian population. He stated that the Iranian people cannot be broken by intimidation and that Iran will not surrender. He also pointed to the humanitarian consequences of the conflict — attacks on food, water, and medicines.

### Q: What diplomatic events coincided with Pezeshkian's statement?
**A:** On September 12, the leaders of Iran and the UAE signed a joint BRICS statement on restraint in the Middle East conflict. At the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Pezeshkian met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi — this was the first meeting at such a level since the start of the conflict. The specific outcomes of the talks have not been announced.

### Q: Does a memorandum or agreement exist between Iran and the United States?
**A:** A number of sources (1prime.ru, news.mail.ru, zakon.kz) mention a memorandum or agreement between Iran and the United States, as well as Tehran's intention to fulfill its obligations under it. However, these publications are dated June 2026, and their connection to the current escalation of September 13 is not definitively confirmed. The question of the status of this document at present remains open.

### Q: Why did the UAE, being a US ally, sign a joint statement with Iran?
**A:** According to the primary source, the joint signing of the BRICS statement was perceived as a sign of diplomatic progress. The UAE, despite its alliance with the United States, uses multilateral formats to promote de-escalation in the region, which aligns with its interests in maintaining stability in the Middle East.