Pezeshkian denies regional conflict, underlines defensive stance
President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted that Iran has no intention of targeting or confronting with any neighboring country, stressing that only facilities from which attacks are launched against Iranian territory will be considered legitimate targets under the principle of self-defense.
In a telephone conversation with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, Pezeshkian highlighted that US and Israeli aggressors have been exploiting the sovereignty of neighboring countries to launch attacks on critical infrastructure, hospitals and schools in Iran, the presidential website reported.
The remarks came amid heightened tensions following the joint US-Israeli aggression on Iran on February 28.
In retaliation, Tehran has launched strikes, not only on occupied territories, but also on US bases across the region. Tehran, however, has reiterated its commitment to the principle of good neighborliness, stressing that the attacks are on US interests only.
“The global community and international organizations must address the root causes of this imposed war,” the president said. “Otherwise, the architecture of worldwide peace and security will remain destabilized.”
During the phone call, Prime Minister Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s “principled stance” in condemning the US-Israeli aggression and expressed “deep solidarity with the Iranian people and government.”
He called for continued cooperation to strengthen bilateral ties between the two Muslim majority neighbors and to promote broader Islamic unity in the region.
Utter lie to justify operation ‘Epic Mistake’
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had echoed Pezeshkian’s position in a separate conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty on Tuesday.
Araghchi described Iran’s strikes on American installations as “legitimate self-defense against aggression” and reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to a “policy of good neighborliness” and to “regional stability without foreign interference.”
Before the onset of the war, Araghchi had warned that Iran would respond to any attacks by targeting US assets in the Middle East, since it has no access to American soil.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei also explained in a tweet Iran’s rationale behind the defensive strikes on US bases and assets in the region.
He noted that missiles are launched at Iran from residential areas in the territory of neighboring countries and US fighters are using the airspace of those states to attack Iran, “all putting regional security at risk”.
Araghchi also later dismissed Washington’s claim that Iran was planning on attacking the US or US forces “whether preventively or preemptively”, calling it “a sheet and utter lie”.
He said in post on his X account that the sole purpose of such a lie is to justify what he termed “Operation Epic Mistake,” referencing the US codename, “Operation Epic Wrath,” for its aggression against Iran.”
Araghchi described the operation as “a misadventure engineered by Israel and paid for by ordinary Americans.”