President Pezeshkian Emphasizes Iran Does Not Want Escalation in the Region

President Masoud Pezeshkian. (Wikimedia Commons/Khamenei.ir)

JAKARTA - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday, Tehran does not seek to escalate tensions in the region, but promised to use all its capabilities to defend the country's security and interests.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek to increase tensions or instability in the region. However, Iran will act with all its capabilities to defend the security of the country, its national interests, and its territorial integrity," Pezeshkian said in a statement broadcast by Press TV, Anadolu reported (4/8).

Tensions have been rising across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, triggering a retaliatory attack by Tehran targeting several countries across the region.

The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in April and then signed a Pakistani-brokered memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending their military conflict and reaching a lasting peace deal.

However, the deal collapsed last month with the US and Iran launching nearly two weeks of attacks on each other.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said he was calling off a planned military strike against Iran, after Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries asked for time to work out a framework for a peace deal, saying Israel had joined the commitment.