The president made the remarks in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, expressing gratitude to him for the call as well as his solidarity with the people and government of Iran.

“The Zionist regime once again showed that its nature is linked with crime and massacre, and it does not respect human rights and international law, and it assassinates ordinary people, scientists, officials, and military personnel wherever it can,” Pezeshkian stated.

He also added that the Zionist regime’s attacks on Iran took place in the midst of Iran-US nuclear talks, which shows that the regime intended to obstruct and prevent a deal.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always shown that it seeks peace and tranquility based on dialogue and interaction, Pezeshkian said, noting that he has been making efforts to strengthen relations with Iran’s neighbors, Islamic nations and other countries in the world ever since he took office in on July 30, 2024.

However, he added, the Zionist regime sought to derail those efforts by assassinating Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on his inaugural day.

President Pezeshkian emphasized the need for coordination and cooperation among Islamic countries to nullify the Zionist regime’s hostile actions, noting that Israel’s aggression on Iran shows that the strengthening of defense capabilities is a necessity for Islamic countries.

Muslim nations can cooperate to ensure growth, development, as well as peace and tranquility in the region, stated the president, telling Erdogan that he, as one of the influential leaders in the region, can play a significant role in that regard.

Leaders of Islamic countries can cooperate to foil the Zionist regime’s plots, Pezeshkian further said.

Erdogan, for his part, expressed condolences and solidarity with the Iranian government and people over the martyrdom of a number of people in the Zionist regime’s attacks. He condemned the aggression, stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to fuel tensions across the region and his actions are a clear violation of international law and regulations.

The Turkish president pointed to the timing of the Zionist regime’s attacks, which took place amid indirect talks between Iran and the United States, saying Turkey believes that Iran’s nuclear issue should be resolved only through diplomatic ways.

One of Israel’s goals behind attacks on Iran was to divert the public attention from the regime’s atrocities in Gaza, Erdogan added.

He expressed support for Iran, noting that Turkey is ready to take every measure to put pressure on the Zionist regime to end the current situation.

During a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, Pezeshkian asserted that the belief that the Islamic Republic would yield to illogical demands and double standards under pressure, or negotiate while the Zionist regime continues its attacks, is a miscalculation.

The president highlighted that he assumed office with a commitment to national consensus in Iran and fostering international relations, yet noted that the Zionist regime assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on his inaugural day.

Regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Pezeshkian reiterated that the Islamic Republic has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, as this is contrary to its religious principles and the decree of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution. He stated that Iran has consistently sought understanding and agreements through dialogue. Unfortunately, he lamented, global powers have frequently opted to accept the misleading narratives propagated by the Zionist regime, which seeks to destabilize the region.

Pezeshkian further stated that while Iran does not seek war or bloodshed, it will respond decisively to any threats. He stressed that the Islamic Republic has always preferred to resolve issues through diplomatic means.

He pointed out that the United States has consistently indicated that the Zionist regime would not act aggressively without their coordination and approval. Therefore, it is evident that the current attacks on Iran are also conducted with the backing of the United States, which possesses the power to restrain this regime if it chooses to do so, he added.

In response, President Macron expressed France’s readiness to play a more active role in resolving the nuclear issue. He clarified that France was not informed about Israel’s plans to attack Iran and did not participate in this respect. Macron expressed hope that recent developments would not adversely affect the cooperation and relationship between Iran and France.

Additionally, he reaffirmed France’s firm stance against Israel’s attacks on Gaza and its commitment to maintaining this position.

Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini, the spokesperson for the IRGC, in a televised statement said as part of the ongoing offensive-combined operations under ‘True Promise III’ in response to new aggression by the Zionist regime, fuel production facilities for fighter jets and the regime’s energy supply centers were targeted with a large number of drones and missiles.

He further said the offensive operations of the Iranian armed forces will continue with “even greater force and scale” if the acts of aggression persist.

The IRGC spokesperson also announced that the IRGC aerospace defense system, operating under the unified command network and the joint air defense headquarters of the country, had “successfully intercepted and destroyed” three Israeli cruise missiles, ten drones, and dozens of hostile mini-drones in the affected regions.”

On Saturday night, the IRGC launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks against the Zionist entity, following the initial phase of the retaliatory operation “True Promise III” that began on Friday.

The latest stage of this large-scale military operation commenced around 11:45 a.m. local time on Saturday, with videos circulating on social media showing missiles hitting their targets.

This unprecedented retaliation is being conducted under the codename “Ya Ali ibn Abi Talib,” coinciding with the sacred occasion of Eid al-Ghadir that was observed on Saturday.

The main focus of this new round of ‘Operation True Promise III’ is the occupied port city of Haifa and its surroundings, which is home to several critical military and industrial facilities of the regime.

The strikes, according to Israeli media reports, targeted a series of strategic Israeli military and industrial sites, including oil refineries and electricity grids.

Images showed a massive blaze at the Haifa oil refinery, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky, with preliminary reports suggesting that the ensuing blaze is emitting toxic chemicals into the air.

Some regional media reports described Saturday night’s attack by the IRGC as the “largest missile attack” ever carried out by the Iranian armed forces against the occupied territories.