TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday said that Tehran did not seek war with Israel but was ready to deliver “an appropriate response” to Israeli air strikes this week on Iranian military installations.
During a cabinet meeting, the Iranian president vowed to defend the rights of the Iranian nation. “We do not seek war but we will defend the rights of our nation and country,” Pezeshkian said, adding: “We will give an appropriate response to the aggression of the Zionist regime.”
The Iranian President blamed the soaring regional tensions on Israel’s “aggression” and the United States’ support for the country.
“If the aggressions of the Zionist regime and its crimes continue, the tensions will spread,” Pezeshkian said.
The Iranian President added that the United States had “promised to end the war in return for our restraint, but they did not keep their promise.”
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday at Iran’s request following deadly Israeli air strikes on Iranian military installations in retaliation for an October 1 missile attack by Tehran.
The Swiss presidency of the UN Security Council said Sunday that the meeting would take place after the request by Iran, supported by Russia, China and Algeria.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Council’s president, demanding immediate international condemnation of what Iran described as “an unjustifiable act of aggression.”
Araghchi said that most of Israel’s missiles were intercepted by Iran’s defence systems, but that the attack led to significant damage at key military locations and resulted in the deaths of four Iranian soldiers.
“This attack represents a clear violation of Iran’s sovereignty,” Araghchi said, asserting Iran’s right to defend itself. “We reserve the inherent right… to respond to this criminal aggression.”
In a statement, the Israeli military confirmed it had targeted Iranian missile factories, installations, and other military assets within Iran, and warned against any further retaliatory action from Tehran.
Iran, however, downplayed the attack’s impact, with Iranian media calling the assault “weak” and limited to minor damage to a few radar systems. Analysts suggest that Iran may be attempting to de-escalate tensions to avoid a broader regional conflict.
