Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized on Wednesday that his country is not seeking war, but warned Israel of a stronger response if they choose to retaliate for the recent missile attack.
During a joint press conference with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in Doha, Pezeshkian stated, “If it (Israel) wants to react, we will have a stronger response, this is what the Islamic Republic is committed to.”
He further emphasized, “We are not looking for war, it is Israel that forces us to react.”
Pezeshkian’s statements came a day after Iran launched approximately 200 missiles, including hypersonic weapons, towards Israel. The attack sent civilians fleeing for shelter, with Israel intercepting most of the missiles. Medics reported two people lightly wounded by shrapnel, and one missile damaged a school building. The Israeli military reported that several Iranian missiles fell inside air force bases without causing damage.
Condemning Israel’s actions, Pezeshkian said, “The dirty goal of the Zionist regime is to cause insecurity and spread crisis in the region.”
He appealed to the US and European countries to intervene, stating, “What we want from US and European countries is to tell the entity they have planted in the region (Israel) to stop the bloodshed.”
Sheikh Tamim also expressed concerns, warning that Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon are pushing the region to, “the brink of the abyss.”
He condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying, “We also condemn the ongoing Israeli aggression against our brothers in Gaza.”
Sheikh Tamim reaffirmed Doha’s commitment to brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, whose October 7 attacks sparked the conflict, “We will continue our efforts to achieve a ceasefire between the Palestinian factions, led by Hamas, and Israel.”
