Pezeshkian tells UN chief Iran ‘seriously concerned’ about expansion of regional tensions

President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed Iran’s "serious" worries over the expansion of tensions in West Asia due to Israel’s acts of terror and aggression.

He made the remarks during a Monday meeting with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

Pezeshkian said that on the first day of his presidency, Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh, political leader of the Palestinian Hamas resistance group, in the Iranian capital Tehran, adding, however, that the Islamic Republic exercised patience to prevent the escalation of tensions.

The Zionist regime, he added, has killed more than 41,400 Palestinians in its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip and has now spread the aggression to Lebanon, where it has killed many others. 

“We are very seriously concerned about the expansion of the conflict across the entire region,” he continued.

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The Iranian chief executive also appreciated Guterres for his expression of sympathy over Saturday’s deadly coal mine explosion in the eastern Iranian city of Tabas.

He said the bitter incident is a result of the unfair sanctions against Iran that ban the import of mining equipment to the country.

Pezeshkian further emphasized that Iran is seeking to establish sustainable peace and security in West Asia with the help of neighboring governments, including those in the Persian Gulf region.

"Iran is in no way seeking [to obtain] nuclear weapons. We have not initiated any war and conflict in the past 200 years and we are basically seeking to live in peace, security, and tranquility.”

The UN chief, for his part, hoped that during Pezeshkian’s tenure, Iran will seek further development and West Asia will witness peace and security.

He said ending the war in Gaza is a priority, referring to Israel’s genocide in the besieged territory that has been going on since October 7, 2023, following a historic Hamas operation against the usurping entity.

The October 7 incident does not justify the crimes in Gaza and the mass killing of Palestinians, Guterres pointed out.

He also called for restoration of Palestinians’ rights both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank through an end to Israel’s killings as well as settlement construction activities, stressing that Lebanon should not turn into another Gaza.

Moreover, Guterres expressed his satisfaction at the improvement of Iran's relations with the Persian Gulf countries.

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