After recent military setbacks, Iran is crafting a narrative of victory as it approaches negotiations with the United States. Iranian leaders are describing a preliminary agreement with the U.S. to pause hostilities as a triumph, illustrating Tehran’s resilience against a stronger adversary.

This position comes despite Iran’s substantial losses, which include key political and military figures, a depleted stock of ballistic missiles, and an economy strained by a naval blockade. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, highlighted Iran’s progress towards what he called “final victory.”

As the agreement neared completion, Sadegh Amoli Larijani, the head of an influential governmental supervisory council, noted on social media the Iranian people’s renewed spirit and their resistance to U.S.-Israeli efforts to topple the Islamic republic.

This rhetoric appears intended both to present a united stance within Iran and to address the concerns of vocal hard-liners who oppose the agreement, viewing it as a betrayal of those lost in the conflict.

Iranian leaders believe the emerging agreement falls short of President Trump’s original objectives, which included “total and complete victory” for the U.S. and “unconditional surrender” for Iran.