Iran Claims Global Recognition of Victory Over US; Golan Remarks Stir Row
Iran's president says the world accepts its victory over the US. Meanwhile, a US envoy's remarks on Israeli occupation of Golan Heights spark backlash.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that the war with the United States should conclude, asserting that the international community has already acknowledged Tehran's victory. State media quoted him as saying, "The entire world approved our victory and the U.S. is hated."
The statement comes as the Trump administration intensifies its economic campaign against Iran, with officials promising an "economic D-Day" and announcing unprecedented sanctions and isolation measures. The stated goal is to pressure Tehran into abandoning its nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers.
In a separate development, Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, said in an interview that Israel "still" occupies the Golan Heights, in violation of U.N. resolutions. His remarks, made to an interviewer, contradict the official U.S. position since 2019, when President Donald Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981, a move the U.N. deems null and void. Barrack's comments drew immediate criticism from conservative activist Laura Loomer, who called for his resignation, citing a lack of understanding of U.S. foreign policy. Colombia recently became the second country, after the United States, to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the region.