Iran concerned about spread of conflict to whole region

Pezeshkian made the remarks in a meeting with António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly session in New York.

Appreciating Guterres’s expression of sympathy over the Tabas mine blast, Pezeshkian said that the bitter incident was a result of the cruel sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the ban on the entry of equipment into the country.

Referring to Tel Aviv’s crimes in the region and the assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran by the Zionists, he strongly criticized the Israeli regime’s acts of aggression in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, saying that Iran is really concerned about the spread of conflict to the whole region.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Pezeshkian said that the Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to establish stable peace and security in the region with the help of neighboring governments, including the Persian Gulf littoral countries.

“Iran is in no way seeking [to obtain] nuclear weapons. In the last 200 years, we have not initiated any wars and conflicts, and we basically seek to live in peace, security, and tranquility,” he emphasized.

“Stopping the war in Gaza is our priority,” said Guterres, for his part, adding, “The October 7 incident does not in any way justify the crimes and mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza.”

He added that Lebanon would not turn into another Gaza.

Expressing satisfaction over the improvement of Iran’s relations with Persian Gulf littoral states, he added that he respects Iran and its rich history.