Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday (local time) called for the establishment of an “Islamic Assembly in the Middle East” to coordinate cultural, economic, security and political relations.
Pezeshkian calls for an Islamic Assembly in the Middle East
In a statement released by Iran’s embassy in Sri Lanka, Pezeshkian condemned the need for a foreign presence in the region, adding that countries in the Middle East region should not fall into traps set by “our enemies”.
He added that to ensure peace and stability in the region, an Islamic security framework should be established among Middle East countries to guarantee peace, security and stability.
Iran’s president condoles the death of Ali Khamenei
Pezeshkian’s remarks were made on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, and Eid al-Fitr. In his statement, Pezeshkian also expressed his condolences to Iranians over the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of airstrikes launched by the US and Israel.
Pezeshkian’s remarks come amid an ongoing war between the US-Israeli combine and Iran that began in late February, when Pezeshkian targeted Tehran’s key military and naval forces and killed several of its top leaders. The strikes came days after Washington and Tehran concluded a third round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program. Following the attacks, Tehran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway responsible for transporting nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil. In addition, it launched strikes on US bases in the Middle East and attacked civilian infrastructure in cities such as Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai.
We’re not looking for confusion: Iran’s president
Addressing Tehran’s Arab neighbors in his statement, Pezeshkian said: “Our dear neighbors who surround Iran, you are our brothers. For any misunderstandings or damage that may have occurred in our relations, we pray that God will help remove these differences.” He added that Tehran is “ready” to resolve all issues with its neighbors.
The Iranian president went on to say that countries in the Middle East region “have no right to fight each other”, warning his neighbors not to fall into the trap set by their enemies. He said Tehran does not seek unrest in the region and does not want to interfere in the internal affairs of any country.
In a message to Middle Eastern countries, he said they should not use the media to promote a narrative that blames Iran for instability in the region and asked them to recognize that Israel is actually behind the instability, unrest and genocide in the region.
Earlier this month, Pezeshkian apologized to Tehran’s Arab neighbors, saying they would stop attacking unless those countries targeted Iran and launched attacks. In a video message at the time, he said: “The Interim Leadership Council approved yesterday that neighboring countries should no longer be targeted and missiles should not be launched unless an attack on Iran comes from those countries.”
American-Israeli Iran War
Pezeshkian’s remarks come as the conflict in the Middle East enters its fourth week with no end in sight. On Saturday, the US and Israel launched strikes targeting Natanz, the uranium enrichment facility there. The attack came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of an increase in attacks against Iran in the coming weeks after an Iranian missile targeted a school building in Tel Aviv.
