Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that Iran seeks peace and tranquility in the region, arguing that no country can achieve progress when there is war. He made the comments in a joint press conference with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in Doha. The Iranian president arrived there earlier on Wednesday on his third foreign trip since taking office in late July.
“Iran is not after war”, Pezeshkian said, stressing that it is “Israel” which forces Iran to react.
He explained that Iran showed restraint in order for peace to be restored following “Israel”’s assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31 in Tehran where he attended the inaugural of Pezeshkian a day earlier.
Instead of stopping the killing of people in Gaza and Lebanon, the Zionist regime intensified its attacks at the time when Iran showed restraint, President Pezeshkian said, stressing that the Islamic Republic was forced to respond.
He was referring to Iran’s firing of about 180 missiles at Zionist military and security positions on Tuesday (Oct. 1) in response to the assassinations of Haniyeh and Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah who lost his life in a Zionist airstrike on Beirut on September 27.
If “Israel” wants to retaliate, Iran will give a more severe response, Pezeshkian said. “And that’s what the Islamic Republic is committed to.”
“The Zionist regime’s vicious goal is to create insecurity and expand crisis in the region, and we should prevent the crisis”, the Iranian president further said, asking the US and Europe to urge “Israel” to stop killing people and creating insecurity in the region.
Qatar’s Emir emphasized that his country supports de-escalating and protecting peace and security in the region.
Despite efforts by Qatar to de-escalate the situation, the Zionist entity has intensified its attacks, he said, urging the regime to stop its brutal war on Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon. He meanwhile stressed that Qatar will continue its mediation efforts aimed at ending the Gaza war.
