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Continuation of war not in interest of Iran, region: Pezeshkian
President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that continuing the war with the United States did not benefit Iran bur noted that certain groups in the US saw their interests in the conflict to drag on.
“We continue to strive for agreement and understanding, and we believe that the continuation of war is in the interest of neither us, nor the region, nor humanity,” Pezeshkian said as he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 26th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek.
Unfortunately, Pezeshkian said, certain groups in the United States see their interests in the continuation of war and seek to prolong conflicts.
The president said Tehran had always tried to establish peace and security and resolve issues through dialogue but Washington has unfortunately chosen the path of war, insecurity, and imposing its will through force instead of using diplomatic mechanisms.
“We believe that the solution to the existing issues is dialogue and cooperation, and all capacities must be used to prevent the spread of insecurity and conflict.”
Referring to the June 17 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington to end the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, he reiterated that Tehran has honored its commitments as per the deal, but the US failed to do so.
Tehran-New Delhi relations
Elsewhere in his remarks, the president said Tehran was ready to promote its longstanding and friendly relations with New Delhi in all areas.
“Iran and India have extensive capacities for expanding cooperation in political, economic, scientific, cultural and other areas of mutual interest. It is possible to further enhance relations between the two countries by strengthening bilateral cooperation and neutralizing the effects of sanctions,” the president said.
The United States and Israel are working to create obstacles to Iran’s cooperation with other countries, Pezeshkian said. Tehran is ready to expand cooperation with India in various fields despite such pressures, he added.
For his part, Modi said New Delhi sought to maintain its cooperation and contacts with Iran during the recent difficult period.
The Indian prime minister said he agreed with Pezeshkian’s view that some groups see their interests in the continuation of war and stressed the importance of doubling efforts to establish peace.
The Iranian president also held separate talks with the heads of state of Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
During his meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country mediated the June MoU, Pezeshkian said Iran remained committed to implement the deal provided that the other party also adhered to its obligations.
Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi Arabia pact
Pezeshkian also welcomed a recent defense agreement reached between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, describing it as a step toward strengthening the unity of the Islamic world.
“We hope that other countries in the region and Islamic countries will also join this process and expand their cooperation not only in the defense field, but also in the political, economic, and cultural fields,” Pezeshkian added.
The three Muslim countries signed the joint defense agreement on August 7 following growing regional tensions caused by the US-Israeli aggression against Iran in February.