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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that any foreign intervention in the ongoing conflict, under any pretext, would carry dangerous consequences, as he pressed the European Union to abandon what he called a destructive posture toward Tehran and align its policies with international law.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a telephone call with European Council President Antonio Costa, in which the two sides discussed the current state and consequences of what Tehran describes as an imposed war by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as the broader regional situation.
Pezeshkian criticized what he described as the EU's biased and negative stance toward the American and Israeli military campaign against Iran, saying the attacks amounted to an unprecedented crime against the Iranian people and a flagrant violation of the rule of law, and of principles the EU has long claimed to uphold. He called the bloc's silence over what he characterized as American-Zionist crimes "regrettable" and incompatible with Europe's stated commitments to human rights.
The Iranian president said Iran had entered negotiations with the United States sincerely and with a constructive approach, only to be struck illegally for a second time in the middle of those talks. "This proves that this country has no belief in diplomacy," he said, "and is merely seeking to dictate its own ambitions."
Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran's inherent right to self-defense while emphasizing that Tehran had respected the sovereignty of neighboring states and had no intention of attacking them. However, he said American military bases stationed on the territory of those countries had been used to launch attacks against Iran, and that those countries had failed to meet their international responsibility to prevent their soil from being used for such purposes.
He described the current situation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz as a direct consequence of hostile American and Israeli actions, and stated that the path to normalization lay in a halt to those attacks. The Strait of Hormuz, he confirmed, remains closed to vessels belonging to the aggressor parties and their supporters. Iran, he added, has never sought tension or war, but possesses the will to end the conflict provided that necessary guarantees are secured against any repetition of aggression.
European Council President Costa, for his part, stressed the need to halt the fighting and ease regional tensions, and expressed concern over the political and economic consequences of the conflict for the wider world. He said European countries have never supported the offensive against Iran and regard it as contrary to international law and established international norms. Costa also called for all outstanding issues to be resolved through negotiation and peaceful means.
Pezeshkian closed by urging European governments to reorient their positions around international law and toward constructive, professional engagement, rather than maintaining what he called a destructive approach against Iran.
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