If European countries can jointly make rules for their security and trade, why cannot we? the Iranian president said in an interview.
NEW DELHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 13th Sep, 2026) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Iran does not want war, adding that the United States entered the region and that Iran’s Supreme Leader is alive.
In an interview with an Indian television channel, Masoud Pezeshkian said, “We did not start the war; the United States and Israel did.
We are defending ourselves in this war.” He said Iran had no issue with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or any other country in the region, describing the regional countries as brothers.
The Iranian president said Iran had an issue with US military bases located in regional countries, from where attacks on Iran were launched.
“It is the United States that entered our region,” he said.
He said friendly neighboring countries should not allow attacks on Iran from their territory.
“We want friendly relations with all countries in the region, but the United States does not want this to happen,” Pezeshkian said.
Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States wanted to use the region’s petroleum reserves for itself and sought to destroy regional peace and stability by selling its weapons and missiles.
The Iranian president said Pakistan was a friendly neighboring country that had provided significant assistance for peace, while Qatar had also helped.
He said it was difficult to understand why Islamabad was demanding renewed negotiations even after the memorandum of understanding.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said the memorandum of understanding stated that US sanctions would be lifted, adding that the United States would have to remove them.
“We did not start the war; the aggression must be ended by the United States,” he said.
He said the United States had killed a leader who lived in the hearts of the Iranian people and whose death could never be forgotten.
Washington had wanted to overthrow Iran’s government since the first day, he added.
The Iranian president said Iran was not at war with Saudi Arabia and that the Houthis had their own issues.
“If European countries can jointly make rules for their security and trade, why cannot we?” he said.
He said Iran’s Supreme Leader was alive and continuing to play his role within the system as before.
The enemy had failed to trace his location and was therefore spreading various speculations, Pezeshkian said.
Masoud Pezeshkian said the enemy also wanted to harm Iran’s new Supreme Leader.
