Pezeshkian: Anti-Iran onslaught to be reciprocated with ‘decisive’ response
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran will never welcome war, while simultaneously issues a stern warning that any aggression against the country or its people will be met with an "immediate and decisive" response.
Pezeshkian made the remark in a phone conversation with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States.
“Iran has not and will not welcome war in any way, and sees war as benefiting no party. However, regrettably, Western parties have, through their actions, shown that despite their claims, they have no practical commitment to diplomacy and the principles of international law,” Pezeshkian said.
He added that Iran’s approach is based on interaction and dialogue based on international law, mutual respect, and the avoidance of threats and force to resolve issues.
However, the Iranian president emphasized that any aggression against the country and the nation will be responded “immediately and decisively.”
Iran rejects threats and coercion and remains committed to dialogue, mutual respect and win-win diplomacy, Pezeshkian said, as Washington continues issuing military threats against Tehran.
The phone call comes amid a sharp rise in threatening rhetoric from Washington. US President Donald Trump recently told reporters that “another beautiful armada” of warships was moving toward Iran.
In subsequent remarks and online posts, Trump said the deployment was aimed at pressuring Tehran into negotiations, warning that failure to reach a deal would trigger a military strike “far worse” than the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.
A US naval strike group has been in Middle Eastern waters since Monday, and Trump has warned it is “ready, willing and able” to hit Iran “if necessary.”
The Emirati president said his country is making diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the region.
He commended Iran’s principled stance on pursuing diplomacy and dialogue to resolve issues and avoiding any war.
Since Thursday, the Iranian president has contacted several leaders of the regional countries amid worsening tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Pezeshkian told Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday that the US must cease provocative actions in the region if it is truly seeking genuine negotiations with Iran.
“If the American side is truly seeking genuine negotiations and diplomacy, it must cease such provocative and tension-provoking actions and demonstrate its commitment to the path of dialogue through actions,” Pezeshkian said.
“We emphasize the path of interaction and diplomacy. However, we will not allow ourselves to be threatened or attacked during negotiations, as in past experiences,” Pezeshkian said of the US-Israeli attacks, which took place in June ahead of a planned sixth round of talks.
The Emir of Qatar and the Pakistani prime minister emphasized their firm opposition to any actions against the security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran.