Pezeshkian: Iran not to relinquish even one inch of own territory
Larijani warns of US-Israeli plot to disintegrate nation
President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that the United States and the Israeli regime were seeking to push Iran and its neighbors into conflict, stressing that the Islamic Republic will not allow even an inch of its territory to be seized.
Pezeshkian made the comments while reviewing national healthcare issues during a meeting with Minister of Health and Medical Education Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi.
Addressing the Iranian public, the president expressed appreciation for the nation’s resilience and unity, saying public presence and solidarity had disappointed Iran’s enemies.
Pezeshkian added that their goal is to keep Iran and neighboring countries in a state of war and to sow discord among the regional nations.
He reiterated Iran’s long‑stated position toward regional states, noting that, in line with remarks by the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the country considers neighboring states as brothers and seeks constructive relations with them.
Pezeshkian said any attack on Iranian territory would be met with a decisive response, adding that retaliation should not be interpreted as hostility toward other nations or their peoples. If Iran is attacked, Iranians are compelled to respond, the president said. The greater the pressure imposed on the Iranian people and territory, the stronger their response will be, he warned.
He said Iran’s Armed Forces and volunteer units remain fully deployed across the country and are prepared to defend the nation, adding that Iran would not bow to bullying, injustice, or aggression.
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, also warned of plots by the United States and Israel to fragment Iran, stressing that their main issue is not limited to political change but the country itself.
In a televised interview on Saturday night, Larijani said Washington and Tel Aviv’s objective from the outset of the conflict had been to destabilize and ultimately divide Iran.
“The issue for the United States and Israel was the disintegration of Iran. They were not looking for minor changes; they were seeking the fragmentation of Iran, and their problem is with Iran itself,” he said.
Larijani said that when the attacks began, they were launched with significant intensity, resulting in the assassination of Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, and other senior figures of the Islamic Republic.
He said the attackers may have believed such strikes would create a shock that could lead to the collapse of Iran’s political system and pave the way for dividing the country.
Larijani said another objective was to incite ethnic tensions inside Iran, including attempts to encourage Kurdish groups to oppose the government.
“The Kurds are an authentic Iranian community. They know what happened to the Kurds in Syria and how they were abandoned,” he said.
“Today, the United States is trapped in the swamp of its own miscalculations and is confronting a nation that has turned this crisis into an opportunity for greater cohesion,” he said.
Larijani added that threats issued by US President Donald Trump against the Iranian people failed to produce the reaction Washington had expected.
“Trump does not understand that Iranians may have differences among themselves, but they remain united as Iranians, especially when they see foreign interference,” he said.
Larijani also said American citizens should be aware of the costs incurred as a result of Trump’s policies.
Larijani also underlined that the image of American power in the region has been weakened.
“Countries in the region now understand that the United States is no longer capable of guaranteeing their security,” he said.