Iran seeking to prevent expansion of regional conflict: President Pezeshkian to India’s Modi

Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in the western Russian city of Kazan, as they attend the summit of the BRICS group of nations.

“We believe that warfare prevents countries’ development, and have, therefore, decisively pursued and continue to pursue preventing expansion of tension and conflict in the region,” the Iranian chief executive asserted.

He contrasted Iran’s message and performance that was directed towards development of peace and friendship with those of the Israeli regime, which was “pursuing crimes, massacres, and warmongering.”

Pezeshkian cited the regime’s assassination of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas’s former Political Bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital Tehran on July 31, only a day after his presidential inauguration, as an instance of the regime’s attempts at obstructing the Islamic Republic’s pursuit of its peaceful goals.

“The Zionist regime has shown that it only seeks warfare and conflict,” the Iranian president said, hoping that the regime’s supporters, which laid claim to defending human rights, revisit their approach and support for Tel Aviv, to help cessation of its atrocities.

For his part, Modi denounced Israel’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, where it has killed tens of thousands of people since last October, saying India was taking part in consultations that were aimed at helping establishment of peace and calm in the region.

The officials, meanwhile, condemned the existing double standards regarding the issue of human rights, which has seen the regime’s supporters defending its atrocities in the region in the name of “self-defense,” while denouncing regional resistance groups’ retaliatory operations.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Pezeshkian considered expansion of economic relations and cooperation among the regional countries to be a source of enhancement of the nations’ welfare and security.

He said he had proposed formation of a regional communication network among the countries towards realization of the purpose, noting that BRICS’ structure serves as a proper model and platform for realization of the idea.

Modi concurred with Pezeshkian on the need for development of the regional economic ties, saying the prospect served the interests of the entire region.

The officials also expressed their respective countries’ interest in development of their bilateral relations, stressing the need for expedient implementation of the agreement that the two sides signed in May on development of the southern Iranian port city of Chabahar.

The Indian prime minister pointed to his trip to the Islamic Republic in 2016, during which he met with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, describing his visit as memorable and asking Pezeshkian to convey his regards to Ayatollah Khamenei.