Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Israel on Monday of attempting to escalate regional conflict, asserting that Tehran has intentionally restrained itself in the interest of peace.
“We know better than anyone that a larger war in the Middle East would harm everyone globally. It is Israel that seeks to instigate this broader conflict,” Pezeshkian said during a roundtable discussion with journalists at the UN General Assembly in New York.
This was Pezeshkian’s first appearance at the UN since his inauguration in July as a reformist leader within the clerical government, coinciding with Israeli strikes on Lebanon following attacks on Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Tensions flared soon after Pezeshkian took office, especially after the assassination of a Hamas political leader in Tehran, which is widely attributed to Israel, shortly following the group’s attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
Pezeshkian also noted Western calls for Iran to avoid retaliation in order to support US efforts for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. “We have attempted not to respond, with promises of impending peace,” he stated, adding, “Yet we have never achieved that elusive peace. Every day, Israel perpetrates more atrocities, killing more people—old and young, men and women, children, hospitals, and other facilities.”
When questioned about a potential direct response from Iran to Israel, he did not provide a definitive answer, saying, “If Hezbollah didn’t take action, who would defend them?”
He voiced frustration over being portrayed as the source of insecurity, asking, “But look at the situation as it is.”
Iran openly supports Hamas, which executed the October 7 attack resulting in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures that include hostages. In retaliation, Israel’s military operations have killed at least 41,455 people in Gaza, predominantly civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, a number the UN has considered reliable.
