Israel seeking to drag West Asia into a full-blown war: Iran President

Pezeshkian, who is in New York to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, made the remarks in a meeting with senior managers of American media outlets on Monday.

“We do believe that if a larger war were to erupt in the region, it will not benefit any country. It is the Zionist regime (Israel) that seeks warmongering and the expansion of insecurity in the region.”

Pezeshkian said Iran defends the oppressed people of Palestine. The Iranian president criticized the inaction of leading international media on Israel’s ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

In response to a question about Iran’s defense power, Pezeshkian stated that Tehran does not seek to wage a war and spread insecurity and has never launched any attack against a country but it has been invaded by others many times.

“We want defense power to maintain [national] security and defend our people and country. However, the Zionist regime has repeatedly conducted terrorist acts against our country,” the Iranian president emphasized.

Asked about Iran’s response to Israel’s assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, in Tehran in late July, Pezeshkian said the move, which is condemned based on all international rules, will not remain unanswered.

He noted that Iran has proved it is capable of giving a proper response to the crimes of Israel but the country does not seek to spread instability and insecurity in the region.

Haniyeh was assassinated on July 31 while he was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Pezeshkian.

Iranian political and military leadership, including Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, have vowed to avenge Haniyeh’s blood.

The Iranian president once again reiterated his administration’s policy of expanding interaction with world countries based on mutual respect.

He added Iran seeks “constructive, healthy and equal” interaction with all world countries.

“We are trying to replace war and bloodshed with peace and security and create a world in which people have coexistence on the basis of justice, peace, prosperity and security instead of killing each other.”

He criticized certain Western media outlets for portraying a tarnished image of Iran and said he would convey his country’s message of peace and friendship to the world during the General Assembly meeting.

The Iranian chief executive, however, warned that it will not be possible to establish peace and security in the region as long as the Israeli regime continues its crimes.

Pezeshkian also rejected allegations about Iran’s supplying of weapons to Russia to be used in the war in Ukraine.

“Iran has never supported and will never support Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

Iran, Pezeshkian stressed, respects the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, but no one should keep silent on the crimes of Israel in Gaza while accusing others of pursuing aggressive policies.

Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 partly to prevent NATO’s eastward expansion after warning that the US-led military alliance was following an “aggressive line” against Moscow.

Iran has maintained its policy of impartiality regarding the conflict.

However, the US and its Western allies have repeatedly claimed that Iran is supplying weapons to Russia for direct use in the Ukraine war.

Iran has categorically rejected the unfounded accusations, saying the Western countries are escalating the war through the supply of advanced weaponry to Kiev.