Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Wednesday that Iran is not seeking war but warned of a more robust response if Israel retaliates for a recent missile strike. Speaking at a joint press conference with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Doha, Pezeshkian stated, “If [Israel] wants to react, we will have a stronger response; this is what the Islamic Republic is committed to. We are not looking for war, it is Israel that forces us to react.”

The comments come a day after Iran launched approximately 200 missiles, including hypersonic weapons, towards Israel. The missile barrage sent Israeli civilians into shelters, though most of the missiles were intercepted by Israel’s defense systems. Israeli medics reported two people were lightly wounded by shrapnel, and one missile damaged a school building. The Israeli military also confirmed that some missiles landed in air force bases but did not cause any damage.

Pezeshkian accused Israel of creating insecurity in the region, saying, “The dirty goal of the Zionist regime is to cause insecurity and spread crisis in the region. What we want from the US and European countries is to tell the entity they have planted in the region (Israel) to stop the bloodshed.”

Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim, echoed Pezeshkian’s concerns, warning that Israel’s actions were pushing the region to the “brink of the abyss.” He specifically criticized Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon and condemned the ongoing strikes on the Gaza Strip. Sheikh Tamim also reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, following Hamas’s deadly October 7 attacks, which escalated the conflict.

The international community remains on high alert as tensions continue to rise, with both Iran and Israel trading threats amidst ongoing violence in Gaza and Lebanon.