Iran does not seek war, Pezeshkian says

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the Islamic Republic does not seek conflict but faces external pressures from countries he accuses of fueling instability.

“We are not seeking war… We seek peace and tranquility,” Pezeshkian said Monday, according to semi-official ISNA news agency.

He criticized Western nations for what he called hypocrisy in their human rights advocacy, referencing the civilian death toll in Gaza.

“They massacred more than 18,000 young people and buried 20,000 women under the rubble, yet they claim to champion human rights,” he said.

Elsewhere in his remarks Pezeshkian hailed the role of science in addressing Iran’s challenges, urging reliance on scholars and elites. “There are many paths, but our solution lies in science,” he noted.

He also warned that domestic divisions fuel external hostility, saying, “Unnecessary conflicts encourage the greed of our enemies.”

The president’s remarks come amid international sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and its backing of armed groups across the Middle East.

It also comes after a statement from the G7 at the Munich Security Conference blamed Tehran for being the cause for regional instability.

“The G7 members unequivocally condemned Iran’s destabilizing actions, including its rapid advancement of uranium enrichment without credible civil justification, its facilitation of terrorism organizations and armed groups across the Middle East and Red Sea, its proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and its transnational repression and violation of fundamental human rights,” read the statement issued on Saturday.

Pezeshkian previously echoed similar calls for peace during a visit to Tajikistan last month, but has rejected nuclear negotiations with the United States in accordance with a directive by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.