ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday said the decision of going to war or not “is not with the government,” nor will it be in the future, Iranian media reported.

“The decision to go to war is not with the government; it is not with the government in law, nor will it be with the government in the future. The government's role is to provide the necessary supplies,” Pezeshkian said, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency.

Iran has a decentralized defense structure that is divided among several institutions. The main branches are the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which operate as parallel military structures under the Supreme Leader.

“Whether we fight or not is better known to the commanders on the battlefield than to me or you. They know their own capabilities. The leadership makes the decision, and whatever decision they make, we will stand by them until the end,” Pezehskian added.

The US-Israeli war on Iran restarted in late February, with Washington maintaining that the offensive was intended to eliminate Iran's nuclear capabilities and impose limits on its missile program.

The two warring sides have paused hostilities three times to pursue negotiations, but have returned to launching attacks on every occasion.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were set to resume Monday, after he suspended planned attacks on the country in a bid to restart talks for a possible deal that will end the months-long conflict.

He added that the negotiations would cover the Strait of Hormuz—a vital waterway south of Iran that Tehran has closed, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil is transported—as well as Iran’s denuclearization.

Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Tehran does not want to escalate the conflict with Washington, but will continue to defend its borders.