Iran declares that it is in a state of "neither war nor peace": what does the term mean.
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament reiterated on Sunday that Tehran will not succumb to Washington's pressure to choose between two binary options of talks on American terms or war, and that the third option currently prevails. A situation of "neither war nor peace". may end if the United States meets Iran's criteria for negotiations.
The Iranian use of the term "neither war nor peace" (na jang, na sulah) dates back to the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988, and the ceasefire in 1988 that saw the cessation of hostilities without an official peace agreement or a solution to the underlying disputes. However, the Cold War-style dynamic of armed ceasefires combined with local fighting has existed for thousands of years, since the ancient Persian-Roman rivalry that lasted from the end of the first century BC to the seventh century AD.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei revived the concept and the related idea of "no war, no negotiations" during Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign in 2018-2020, which included the withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear agreement, the return of severe sanctions, the seizure of mutual tankers, attacks on branches, terrorist fences, the downing of an American spy drone over Hormuz, the assassination of one of the top commanders of Revolutionary Guards by the United States, and Iranian missile attacks in retaliation on American bases in Iraq.
"Neither war nor peace" returned after the collapse of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States in July 2026. In the current reality, this means:
The absence of full-scale warfare, combined with mutual hostility and occasional side-by-side attacks.
The war of attrition of a double siege in and around Hormuz.
An Iranian ultimatum of "seven conditions" (end of hostilities throughout the region, removal of US sanctions, withdrawal of US forces, war reparations) before talks can be resumed, given the number of times the US and Israel have attacked in the midst of negotiations.
The prospect of expanding the geography, scope, and sophistication of the war if the United States strikes again or rejects an honorable peace.