Iran Does Not Seek War, but Will Respond if Provoked: President Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (C), Oct. 3, 2024. X/ @pueblopatriota

October 3, 2024 Hour: 7:06 am

‘We will support the resistance factions until the liberation of Palestine and we see this as a duty,’ he pointed out.

On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his nation does not seek war, but will respond if Israel acts against the country.

Pezeshkian made the remarks following his meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during his official two-day visit, which aimed to strengthen bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

“We will pursue two goals on this trip. The first is to engage in dialogue with the Qatari government on cooperation agreements. We will address the critical regional situation, including Israel’s violations of international law and the targeting of innocent civilians. If the Zionist regime does not stop its crimes, it will face harsher reactions,” he said.

During his speech at the Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit on Thursday, Pezeshkian reaffirmed his country’s support for the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance organizations, ensuring that Israel “will not be able to eliminate” them.

“We are not looking for war; it is Israel that forces us to react. Israel assassinated our guest in Tehran on the presidential inauguration day,” says Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.#Iran #Tehran #Israel pic.twitter.com/g9bHt3PFu6
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) October 3, 2024

“Given the repeated attacks by the Zionist entity against the resistance factions, I am forced to point out that the violators of human rights and those who commit crimes must know that this tree is fruitful and cannot be cut down,” Pezeshkian said from Qatar.

He was referring in particular to the intense Israeli bombing of strongholds of the pro-Iranian Shiite Lebanese group Hezbollah in several parts of Lebanon, in which several of its commanders have been killed, including its top leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“Injustice will not go unpunished and the Zionist entity will undoubtedly be punished soon… We will support the resistance factions until the liberation of Palestine and we see this as a duty. We strongly defend the Palestinian cause,” Pezeshkian vowed.

On Tuesday, Iran launched some 200 missiles at Israel in response to Israel’s killings of Palestinian group leaders. Hezbollah and Hamas are part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance”, which is backed by Iran, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and numerous Iraqi Shiite groups.